Amongst Their Ranks
by itsmyownlife
Summary: Preview, but better review inside!: She possessed a powerful gift the Volturi could only seek to control. Offered a place amongst the ranks of the Volturi, Emma Durand joins, to the resentment of many, including the dangerous and mysterious Alec OC CaseH
1. In the Great Marble Hall

Hello my readers. If you're reading this I assure you I am planning to update as fast as humanly (hehe) possible. Alas (haha I love that word), do not be discouraged by its length. By writing this, I' am doing something I believed I would never do: I'm writing a twilight fanfic. Nothing against twilight, I myself love twilight--but having a twihard parent ruins it a little for you. Anyways for a somewhat longer summary:

Emma Durand, a rare human-vampire hybrid, possess the unique ability to interchange between these two being, though her vampire side is particularly more potent. Discovered by Demetri, she is brought before the Volturi and offered a position, which she (somewhat unwillingly) accepts, to the bitter disapproval of Caius, Jane and particularly her brother Alec. Aro, unlike the three afore mentioned, believes her ability has the potential to provide the Volturi with information--a spy, if you will-- of the Cullen family, who have returned to Forks nearly half a century after their departure. And what favorite twin of mine do they send to accompany her, both as an aid and protector? .... well then, if you can guess, you should read and learn how this plays out.

And so copyright infringement yadayadayada begins:

I dont own Twilight- duh

I dont own Alec or any other character from the book-duh

If you dont understand why everything ends with 'duh' you need to first read the Twilight series (in the course of 5 days like the afore mentioned parent) then return to read my, Case Haley's, latest story

**Amongst Their Ranks**

I'm the writer, you're the reader. Readers read on!

"Tell me, young one, how is it that you came upon this…state?" The one named Aro asked, gesturing to me with a pale white hand.

I looked around at the tremendous marble chamber before me: large carved pillar that stretched from the floor towards a high arched ceiling. With the exception of nine small circular windows, entrenched symmetrically in the round walls, which cast a dim light through the room, there was no reminder of the bustling bright city above. I glanced between the three men seated before me in high gilded chairs: Aro, in the center, his dark hair a sharp contrast to his paper like skin, Marcus, dark-haired like Aro, but of a much more sullen demeanor, and Caius, fair haired and seemingly younger than the two adjacent to him. Behind them stood a young boy I presumed had been no more than sixteen or seventeen when he was changed. His scarlet eyes watched me interminably with a cold disgust, as if he had just been presented with a rat. Occasionally, his eyes flickered towards the young girl holding my arm as one might hold a prisoner's. In the few minutes or so she a forcefully led me to where I know stood, it occurred to me that she too did not think to highly of me. With a final glance towards the gilded dome above me, I began my tale.

"My name is Emma Durand. I was born January 12, 1881 in Normandy, to my mother Jacqueline Durand, who died upon giving birth to me. Left to fend for myself in our lone cottage on the outskirts of Lisieux, I was quick to learn I was not like any of the other children I had seen playing in the field just beyond our yard. While they remained young barely ever changing day in and day out, I grew older. I sustained myself on the blood of others, while they ate the vegetables that grew in the field. Upon reaching the age of seven, it stopped, and I've remained in the exact physical form today, that I was 171 years ago. Digging through the shelves and boxes of the cottage, I came across a diary, my mother's diary. In it were a years worth of entries ending a week short of my birth. It described my father, a tall pale man, who was in many aspects, very similar to myself. He was faster, stronger, and colder than other men. He glowed in the sunlight, as my skin sometimes does when it too is exposed. He too, as mother wrote, lived of the blood of humans. Yet she often described him as a remarkably beautiful creature. When I was conceived, he left suddenly, never to return again. He left my mother to struggle through an unnatural pregnancy, far shorter and destructive than the others. I, having been born alone in the cottage, witnessed this destruction myself.

It wasn't long before a ventured beyond the four gates that surrounded the cottage—I have never returned. I traveled here and there, throughout Europe, living off a diet of both blood and human rations. I eventually settled in Germany, where I first encountered another like me. She was a woman; fair-haired and more beautiful than anyone I'd ever seen. She understood me, and from her I learned about your world, my world: our nature, our existence, and even the rules enforced by you who now stand before me. We stayed together for many years afterwards, until recently, when I decided to leave for England. This is when Demetri discovered me late one night and dragged across Europe. I believe you a familiar with my story from there."

My final word echoed out through the hall. Aro sat quietly in deep concentration, reclining against his gilded chair. Suddenly, Caius, sitting up haughtily in his chair, spoke up.

"I don't quite see the point of any of this. Some one please explain this to me because, obviously, there is some element of crucial importance I simply do not see."

The room was silent once more. The boy standing guard behind the three sent a vicious smirk towards his sister at my right. Aro gestured toward me again.

"Would you care to explain your gift to brother Caius young Emma?" He asked, smiling broadly, before turning in Caius' direction. "You'll find its quite extraordinary."

I nodded.

"I can adapt. My body, it changes depending on my surroundings…"

"Which means?" Caius cut in sharply.

"Patience brother," Aro spoke up, "Let her finish."

Caius shot me a spiteful glare.

"My body can interchange between that similar to a human, and that of a vampire. Though I have a beating heart, it is far slower than a human's. My blood is white, iridescent, not red. Though I can eat a human's diet, I often find myself favoring human blood. My body temperature can adjust as well, though I will never be nearly as warm as a human. This is how I am able to attract prey. They stray close to me, believing I am no different than they themselves are."

"Brilliant no?" Aro asked excitedly to no one in particular. "But that's not all. Go on dear."

"I can shield my mind. Not well enough to prevent a direct assault on my mind, but well enough I could avoid my mind being entered or heard in a general area."

"It is true," Demetri spoke up from behind, "It was chance I should find her. I believed her to be human until I spotted her drinking the blood from one. Even then, I found her in the first place through the mind of her victim."

I nodded.

"Impressive," Marcus spoke up.

"Indeed," Caius answered, but his cold voice sounded none too convinced.

"Well then, I can assure you we have nothing like her. I think its only reasonable we offer her a place amongst our ranks," Aro exclaimed.

It was silent a moment before Caius spoke up again.

"How do we know her intentions are good? A shielded mind could easily hold dark secrets."

"Nonsense brother! I was able to read her mind like any other," Aro replied nonchalantly, as if mind reading was commonplace.

"Well then," Caius scoffed, his voice sounding controlled, "If you are so sure of yourself."

"Of course I am! Emma, my dear, welcome to the Volturi."

Hey, leave a review! Let me know what you think so far. Good bad so on so forth...... haha until then -Case ^_^


	2. A New Life

"Welcome to the Volturi."

Aro's final words echoed through the marble hall, fading slowly until the space was once again silent. Caius glared at me with the same livid expression I would have expected if I had slapped him across his face. The boy standing behind him exchanged an irate glance with Jane. After several moments, Aro spoke up again.

"Jane, Demetri, will you take our newest member to her room? She shall have the third room at the end of the East Wing."

Jane frowned while Demetri smiled, as he glided towards me, offering me his arm.

"Shall we?"

I nodded slowly, taking his arm and following him through the large black doors and into the maze of elaborate marble hallways, which intertwined to create the inner sanctum of the Volturi citadel. I tried to ignore Jane as well as I could, but I could still sense her dark glare on my back as she followed closely behind.

"Ah, here we are," Demetri said, stopping before an ornately carved door. With a simple push, he opened the heavy door and gestured me inside. The room was quite extraordinary. The polished stone floor reflected the light twinkling off the chandelier hanging superiorly from a carved marble base in the center of the ceiling. In addition to a large canopy bed modeled after that of Louis the XVI, a unnecessary yet appealing decoration, a large glass vanity sat curtly against the wall—a delightful contrast to the heavy armoire beside it. I stepped toward the center of the room, savoring the crisp clack of my boot heel as resounded off the hard floor.

"It's incredible," I said, my eyes still wandering across the room.

"Well I'm glad you're pleased," replied Demetri cheerfully. I heard Jane scoff behind me.

"Please feel free to let me know if you need anything Emma. I have some unfinished business to attend to at the moment, but find me later on and I'll give you a more thorough tour."

I nodded. "Thank you Demetri."

With a curt nod he exited the room, followed by a sullen Jane. I traipsed over to the vanity and sitting down on the delicate wooden bench as I tossed my jacket onto the bed across the room. My appearance certainly had changed since I arrived in Volterra. My skin was considerably paler than before, while the bright light reflecting of it cast an array of bright colors around the room. I sighed and looked back up at the mirror. My eyes were a considerably more vibrant red. I rotated again to face the window. _So this was life now…_ I hadn't exactly been given a choice in the matter, but I had a feeling this choice was permanent. I was now and forever a member of the Volturi. I stood up and sauntered over to the bed. I lay there with my eyes closed, reflecting on my encounter earlier this afternoon. The overall response to me had been diverse, in post circumstances positive, or in the least, neutral. Then again, their had been several who hadn't seemed to fond of me. Caius, the fair-haired and youngest in appearance of the three leaders, neither appeared to agree with Aro nor support his position. In fact, he seemed downright but off by Aro's choice. I made a mental note to not to give him a reason to dislike me further. Then there was Jane. She obviously couldn't' stand me. I figured that out painfully constrained me all the way to the main hall, though I clearly voiced I had no intention of attempting to escape. And then there was that boy, the one standing proudly behind Caius who seemed to share Jane's exact resentment. Though his hair was dark, while Jane's was blonde, I couldn't deny the existence of a strong family resemblance between the two: They were clearly siblings. _Yet what was his name? _I don't remember hearing it earlier. I would remember to stay away from them as well as I could. As I lay there, I became increasingly aware of a constant series of thuds from the floor below me, slowly growing louder. _What on Earth…_ I opened my eyes, standing up briskly. _How long had I lain there? _The sun had now set, its brilliant gold light replaced by the mellow silver tones of the moon as it rose slowly over the city. I followed the clamor and voices growing louder, until I arrived at a large set of wooden doors. I slipped into the room as Demetri flew over my head and into the wall to my right with a loud, resounding crack.

"What the hell is going on?" I cried, staring at Demetri as his stood up slowly.

"Oh, nothing, fighting Felix," he said, gesturing towards the large shirtless man grinning on the other side of the room.

"And how's that going for you?"

"Well it's not been too bad…"

"Dem here's losing horribly, but he just to proud to admit it," Felix interrupted, smirking at Demetri.

"Why are you fighting in the first place?" I asked glancing between the two.

"Settling a bet, but practicing really," Demetri replied.

"Ah."

"Care to join us?" Felix asked.

"Sure," I replied shrugging, "I have nothing better to do at this time of night.

***

My life of virtual solitude had in no way prepared to face another vampire. However, luring prey, which often involved overpowering men who had other intentions with me, taught me to fight through using my assailant's strength against them. And so it stood: Felix 1, Emma 3.

A loud thud echoed through the space as I managed to flip Felix over me and onto his back at my feet.

"4 to 1 Felix. And here I thought you'd be a threat," I taunted standing over him.

Demetri, reclining against the wall, laughed. "She's not even a full vampire and she's beaten you four times."

Felix growled and reached out, swiping my feet from under me.

"4 to 2," Felix whispered as he stood up and offered me a hand.

I stood up, laughing.

"I can't recall having this much fun in who knows how many years. Do you all do this every night?"

Demetri stood up from the wall and walked towards Felix and I.

" No, sadly. We can only fight on Friday and Saturday nights, lest we run the risk of catching the attention of the humans."

"Ah," I replied, turning back towards Felix, "Well then, how about another round?"

Felix bowed mockingly before charging towards me. I crouched low, and as a result, Felix flew over me and into the wall, cracking several stones in the process. Demetri laughed loudly as Felix scrambled up to his feet. As he prepared to launch himself at me again, the large wooden door of the chamber swung open with a bang. The boy from the throne room sauntered in—a thick and ornately bound book in his hand. His scarlet eyes narrowed as he glanced between the three of us.

"Come to join the fun Alec?" Demetri asked, sauntering towards him.

Alec scoffed.

"No," he replied flatly, "I came down here to tell you three that some of us choose to spend our free time productively, and it would be greatly appreciated if you all would be mature and do the same."

"Aww," Felix drawled, walking over to Alec, "Don't ruin our fun now. We're having a little competition here to see who's the better fighter."

"Delightful. And whom, may I ask, is winning?" He asked glancing between Felix and Demetri.

"Felix is losing terribly to Emma," Demetri replied, smirking at me.

"Well I'm not surprised Felix is losing. He's not that hard to beat."

"When you cheat," Felix growled at Alec.

Alec rolled his eyes.

"So be it," He shot back, before turning his gaze to me. "I still can't believe you were beaten by the half-breed Felix. That's down right pathetic," he drawled, glowering at me. With a final cold glance between the three of us he turned on his heel to leave the room.

"You can't even beat Felix without cheating, you miserable bastard," I yelled after him.

He stopped, turning back slowly to face me. His dark eyes shone violently.

"Don't be stupid enough challenge me," He growled, his voice barely audible.

Demetri glanced at me fearful.

"He's right Emma," Felix spoke up, "Don't."

Would they seriously back off after he insulted me like that? Whether it was pride or anger, or a mixture of both, that compelled me, I would not let it go.

"Well then, Alec, don't be stupid enough to think I won't."

As soon as I said it I wish I hadn't. Alec smiled menacingly, sending a chill down my spine, and took a step forward. Demetri and Felix lunged towards him, but within a moment, they had become very still, staring forward at nothing. I stared up at Alec. He laughed, registering my fear. I panicked, my eyes flickering across the room in a futile attempt to find an exit beside the heavy wooden door behind Alec.

And then there was nothing.

Nothing but a silent and empty space that stretched on forever.

And then…

My vision and senses came back to me slowly. I was in a dark room, very different from the large open chamber I was in before. The cold damp ceiling was low, not much higher than a foot above my head. Before I could finish gaining my bearings, something cold and hard slammed me backwards into the stone wall behind me. I groaned, attempting to stand up. I was caught again, pinned against the wall by my throat.

"Still prideful Emma?" Alec drawled, bringing his face closer to mine. I could feel his sweet breath on my face as I looked up at him. A lock of dark hair fell handsomely across his dark eyes as his leaned himself against me.

"Don't convince yourself that you're better than me, beautiful," he hissed, smiling at me, "You might get yourself hurt."

He brought his face to my neck.

"Such a pretty girl," he murmured, his silken voice barely audible.

I could feel my heart beat slowly, though it was nothing compared to the racing thump of a human heart. I felt the cold smooth edge of his teeth as the brushed against my skin, as if he were debating whether or not to bite me. Instead with one final push, Alec stood up, let me drop from the wall. I watched relieved as he left the room through a thin metal door across the chamber and disappeared, without a second glance back. I remained in the room until the first light of the sun shone through the small cracked window against the far wall. I crept back through the marble halls to my bedroom, several floors above. I slipped through my ornate door, opening it with as little sound as possible. I had no need or desire to draw attention to my self. I traipsed over to my bed, falling back against its gold and scarlet pillows. As the gilded sun rose higher into the sky, and the bustle of city streets below grew, I knew it would not be long before Aro summoned me. It wouldn't be long before I would have to face Alec again.

I had a feeling the tension between us was not going to disappear anytime soon.

**And so I have put up my latest chapter. Haha as I was doing so--not kidding--the new moon trailer just came on tv lol. Anyways, read and review, let me know what you think. I'll be working on the next chapter so until then**

**I'm the writer. Your the reader. READERS READ ON! -Case Haley  
**


	3. Learning One's Place

**Ugh. Life=busy. So, in the million things I have to do, I managed to write the following chapter! woo!!! I'm proud of myself (pats self on back) Anyways, for my fans and readers I give you Chapter 3 of Amongst Their Ranks!!!!! Let me know what you think: good, great, needs work, where to go, what you had for breakfast....(hmmm waffles.... jkjkjkjkjk) **

I stood looking out onto the city below me, which in the last hour or so, had begun to awaken. I found myself incredibly hungry, but refused to leave my room until summoned by Aro. I did not have any intentions whatsoever of running into Alec. I groaned, strolling back to my bed and falling backwards on it. _How could I have been so stupid? _I should have known better than to challenge a member of the Volturi Guard. _No one challenges the Volturi Guard. _I rolled over onto my stomach. Then again, he had it coming. How could he insult me like that? Half-breed or not, I was still good enough to be chosen by Aro himself to be a member of the guard. I was still good as him. I rolled back onto my back and stared up at the ceiling, painted in the style of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel. I thought back to the other members of the guard I remembered from the day before. I knew Aro could read your mind, I was sure of that. I wasn't exactly sure what Alec could do, but I knew it was something along the lines of hypnosis and the ability to incapacitate the senses. Felix was large and strong. I think that was an ability within itself. Then there was Jane, Alec's sister. What could she do? Perhaps she could paralyze your senses just like Alec. Whatever it was, I could tell from Demetri reaction around her when they brought me to Volterra it was just as dangerous.

"Half-breed!"

I heard a high lilting voice call from the hallway. I tensed, fearing it was Alec, but as it called out again, I recognized that the voice was far to high to belong to a boy. I opened the gilded door to my room. _Speak of the devil._

Jane stood in the hallway, her dainty hands resting on her hips.

"Master Aro has summoned his pet," she said laughing.

I grit my teeth. I learned enough from last night I was in no position to test the Volturi guard.

"Of course Jane," I replied, stepping out into the hallway and shutting the door to my room with a click.

She took a step back and gestured for me to walk in front of her.

"After you half-breed."

I suppressed the growl in my throat and led the way through the halls towards the throne room. All the way, Jane made it her prerogative to harass me.

"So what human ridden rundown village did Demetri find you in?"

"London," I replied through gritted teeth.

"Ah, how quaint."

She was silent as we descended the staircase to the main floor, but the silence did not last long.

"So what exactly does Aro want with you? You're obviously no use to the guard. Perhaps he wanted a concubine to satisfy Volturi's needs? I wouldn't doubt that."

I stopped dead, letting a low growl escape my throat, as I remained facing forward with my back to Jane.

"Is there a problem half-breed?" She asked in her lilting voice.

I focused on the wall in front of me, hoping it would shatter.

"No," I managed to force out.

"Good, let's keep moving then. We wouldn't want to keep Aro waiting now would we?"

I finally relaxed as we reached the final hallway to the throne room. Though Jane's comments grew worse and more relentless, I managed to convince myself it would all be over once we reached the throne room. As I reached to open the door, Jane shouldered past me, knocking me to the ground.

"Half-breeds don't enter first. You'd be best to learn your place," she said, her high voice lower and colder than before.

With a final glare, she pushed open the large doors to the throne room.

Aro was seated in his highbacked chair at the center of the room. Caius, his scarlet eyes staring daggers at me, was seated in the chair to Aro's left. Marcus, I noticed, was absent. I began to relax slightly, when I heard the click of heels on the marble floor behind me. The soft chuckle behind me assured me I would regret turning around. Yet I found no need to; for Alec was soon standing at my side.

"Ah, Emma dear, I've seen you've meet Jane and Alec," Aro exclaimed happily, sitting up in his chair. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched the two exchange a quick knowing glance. I forced a smile.

"I have sir."

Aro clapped his hands together.

"Excellent. Well now that you all are well acquainted, I have some good news to share with you all."

Caius rolled his eyes before reclining back in his chair.

"In honor of St. Marcus Day, I've decided to host a ball. It's been quite a while since we've had any entertainment here, at least since turn of the century. Besides, it will be a perfect opportunity to introduce our dear sister Emma to the rest of our world, would it not?"

The room was silent. I could feel the tension growing as I stood between Alec and Jane, neither of whom seemed too delighted at his proposal. I said nothing. _A ball? To recognize me?_ I had no desire to be thrust into the spotlight and an even stronger disinterest in attracting further attention from Jane or Alec.

"Come now Caius, dear brother," Aro said, turning towards the blond, "You must have some opinion?"

Caius sat up slowly, glaring at me.

"Couldn't we use our resources for a…" He paused eyeing me scornfully, "worthier cause?"

I heard Jane and Alec snicker next to me. Aro laughed aloud, as if Caius had suggested to live amongst humans.

"You say that as if our resources were limited, brother!" Aro cried, his laugh echoing off the halls.

Caius scoffed.

"So I assume you are aware that St. Marcus Day is Friday. Or have you forgotten?"

"I have taken that into consideration dear Caius, yet I believe we have more than enough time. Besides, you know how Heidi likes to decorate. It will be marvelous."

Caius frowned. "And how do you suggest to spread word of a ball, _this _Friday, to over three hundred vampires, in the course of five days?"

"Simple. We shall send Demetri."

Caius scoffed again and reclined once more in his seat.

"Well then," Aro said, clapping his hands together, "Now that this is all settled, you all are dismissed."

I turned towards the door with—to my regret—Jane and Alec at either side of me.

"Wait," Aro called out behind us.

We stopped turning slowly.

"Jane dear could you summon Demetri for me?"

In an instant, I was filled with the relief that I would no longer have to endure Jane. Yet, within that same second, my joy was gone. I would be left alone with Alec.

"Of course," Jane replied sweetly, nodding curtly, and rushing from the room.

I followed after her, hurrying from the room as quickly as I could, hoping Alec would find something better to do than harass me. _No such luck. _

"So," he purred, lengthening his stride until he was beside me, "I see Aro has new ideas for his latest pet."

I grit my teeth and kept on forward.

"He's smart though, you know. What better way to display his pretty little toy than in a pretty dress at a pretty ball?"

I stormed down the hall, my heels clicking angrily off the marble floor; All the while I remained silent. As I rounded the corner, I felt Alec's strong hands grasp my wrists as he steered me backwards and pinned me against the wall.

"It's not nice to ignore people when they're talking to you," He cooed, leaning his face closer to mine.

I looked up at his face. A dark lock of hair fell attractively across his scarlet eyes as they bore into mine. I tried desperately to look away from him, yet I found myself unable to.

"Leave me alone Alec. Why the hell won't you leave me alone?" I said, only to find my voice fading to a low whisper.

"I don't quite want to," he said, his voice dropping menacingly, "Besides, someone must teach you your place. You can't expect to make it amongst our ranks because your Aro's new favorite plaything. "

I stared back at him.

"I didn't ask for any of this. You have no need to hate me as you do. I have done nothing to you nor have I any anyway attempted to take what is not rightly mine."

He laughed darkly.

"Then you should have no problem learning that your place is beneath Aro, beneath the triumvirate, and beneath me."

I held back the growl building in my throat. I knew I would not win if I provoked him.

He laughed once before releasing my wrists. Without a second glance back, he turned, strolling down the hallway as if nothing had ever happened. I grimaced rubbing my sore wrists. _Alec and I were going to get along just great. _

"Emma!"

I turned to see Demetri rushing down the hall towards me. Though his demeanor appeared flustered—undoubtedly by Aro's latest task—his eyes and voice carried an edge of concern.

"Are you alright? Jane was particularly eager to let it me know Alec had led you off somewhere. What happened? I swear if that boy did anything to you…" His voice trailed off into a menacing growl.

"I'm fine Demetri. Just annoyed."

He nodded his head slowly, before resting his gaze on the ground.

"Still…" He paused and looked up at me. "I really am sorry about last night. I should have warned you about Alec. He's always trying to provoke people to challenge him because he knows he will win. I should have…" he trailed off again. "Emma, Felix and I…" He shook his head again.

I put my hand on his shoulder.

"It's alright. We'll find a way to return Alec the favor. He didn't do anything except threaten me to stay out of his way." _And pin me under him. _

Demetri sighed and finally looked up nodding. He smiled, tossing my arm over his shoulders.

"So where does Aro have you off to?"

He groaned as we headed off down the hall.

"The world. Asia. Africa. Australia. Nearly all of Europe and even the Americas," he laughed, "Delightful having a gift like mine isn't it?"

I laughed.

"I shall soon find out."

We walked in silence towards the entrance four floors below.

"Demetri," I finally spoke up, "What other talents do the Volturi guard have?"

He was silent for a moment.

"Well, Alec, as you well know, can shut off your senses, but more than that, he can project it over all the people near him. If I had to bet, Alec's on of the most powerful members of the guard. His sister, Jane, is the opposite. She can cause you so much pain; you might as well be senseless. However, she cannot project her ability over others except the single person on which she chooses to focus her gaze. They're probably the most powerful of us all. I can track; I'm sure you are well aware of that. Renata has the ability to protect whomever she touches. Chelsea can influence the bonds between people: force them apart, keep them together, you know? Heidi can create illusionary desires, though her main role is to attract food That's about it for special powers. I'm not quite sure what Afton or Corin can do. Everyone else, like Santiago for example, just does what they do best and Felix" he paused laughing again, "Well he's just Felix. Big, incredibly large Felix."

I nodded.

"What about the triumvirate? Do they have any abilities?"

"Aro can read your mind: what you're thinking now, what you were thinking ten years ago; All your thoughts and memories become his. Marcus can sense the bonds between people, whether its a romantic or traitorous bond. Caius has the ability to be a real bastard sometimes but that's the extent of his."

"I figured something like that," I said laughing. Demetri just shook his head.

We were now standing before the door that led to the street.

"I must go now Emma. Do me a favor: try to stay out of trouble until I get back," he said laughing.

I nodded.

"I shall try."

"Good." He smiled and headed for the door, before he paused turning back to me.

"Watch out for Alec and Caius. Both are exponentially more powerful than you can fathom and neither are your biggest fans. If they get the chance, they will make your life hell, especially Alec. Watch out for him Emma."

I laughed. "I shall try."

He smiled.

"I'm sure you will Emma," he called back, heading towards the door. "However, should you get the opportunity to smack that arrogant smirk off Alec's face, do remember to tell me—I love a good story."

With a final chuckle, his disappeared through the door and I was left alone. Much happier than I had been before, I turned back on my heel, walking in the direction of my room.

**Remember R&R!!! I shall attempt to get a chapter up ASAP, but knowing my life, thats a stretch. So until then. I'm the writer. You're the reader. Readers Read On! Case Haley**

**Sneak Preview: What ever shall happen when our dearest Emma is thrust into the vampire world amid the ladies, the gents, the lights, the sounds, and one particular member of the Volturi Guard...**


	4. La Fête, Part 1

**To my fans: thanks for reading and reviewing! Sorry lifes just been so crazy but I have a week off woooooooo!!!!!! Which means, Im putting up one(which I've already completed... :) ) if not two chapters before the weeks over so YAY!!!! **

**To Alec: I love you and your one line in New Moon lololol**

**To the world:**

**My latest chapter of Amongst Their Ranks. I'm the writer. You're the reader. Readers read ON!!! --Case Haley**

_Dear Emy,_

_Found this while shopping in Paris on Monday. Thought it would look _**amazing**_ on you this evening. I'm nearly positive it's your size. I suggest if you want to be prompt, you should begin getting dressed within the hour or so. _

_Toodles!_

_Heidi_

I looked at the pink tinted parchment in my hand, Heidi's neat cursive scribbled across it in dark ink. Almost as immediately as I had met her earlier this week, Heidi had taken a strong liking to me. She was nice enough—in fact she was my first female friend in Volterra—yet I found her compulsiveness to shop and her eagerness to drag me along to be quite draining. _She would suggest six hour to dress. _ I sat the letter down on my bed and lifted up the dress Heidi had left for me. It was a long flowing gown: a deep Volturi scarlet with black lace across the bodice. From what I could perceive, as I held the garment before me, its sleeves were made to hang off the shoulders, while its neckline appeared to lower than I would have chosen for myself. Attached to the sleeve of the dress by a matching scarlet ribbon was a small silver bag. I plucked it from my bed, careful not to damage the dress. In the bag was a large thin black velvet box. _Ah, Heidi would never forget jewelry would she? _The box opened with a satisfying click. Amongst the folds of the fabric lay a stunning diamond and ruby necklace. I lifted it up slowly, revealing a gold cursive HW written into the velvet. As I raised the necklace to the light, it shimmered brilliantly, casting an unparallel gleam throughout the room.

"Emma!"

Entranced by the necklace I had failed to hear anyone approached, and in my surprise, it fell from my hand and clattered to the ground.

"Come in!" I called back, rushing to shove the necklace back into its box.

Felix stepped into the room, closing the door behind him.

"Heidi wanted me to confirm that you had indeed received her present."

I nodded, laughing.

"I have indeed," I said, gesturing towards the dress on the bed.

"Excellent. Once less thing for Heidi to badger meet about," he rolled his eyes, letting out a deep laugh, "Well now. I'm off now, much to do before the guests arrive. Just wanted to tell you though, good luck tonight."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Good luck? What for?"

Felix let out another deep laugh as he opened by door.

"Surviving tonight. Many of his guests are a bit unusual." **"**

_What was that supposed to mean? _I sighed, walking over to my bed. I picked up the dress again, holding it up to me in the mirror. It was considerably different than any dress I had worn before. In fact, it was considerably different from what I had worn for the last 171 years. I had always preferred durable clothing that allowed me to move quickly and easily: boots, pants, leather. _Then again…_ I held the dress up to me. _It was a pretty color…._

I clasped the necklace at the back of my neck. _There. _The dress was stunning. It fell perfectly with every curve, accentuating every aspect of a body I had believed to be incapable of being so attractive. I twirled once in the dress, watch in spin out about my ankles in a whir of black and scarlet. I glanced towards the window. It was late afternoon now, and the activities of St. Marcus were in full swing. I traipsed towards the window, taking care to avoid the sunlight and stay out of sight from any curious human who happened to look my way. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of humans clad in bright scarlet robes marched through the streets of Volterra, laughing and cheering as they did. The longer I watched, the more I wished I could join them. I stepped back from the window and looked at my reflection in the mirror again. Since I had arrived in Volterra, I had become considerably less human nature. I no longer felt the need to neither breath nor sleep. Physically, I was almost identical to a vampire, though my skin was not quite as pale and my eyes were not as red as the others. Outside my window, I heard the bell tower strike three. Some of the earliest guests would be arriving soon. I glanced back to the mirror. _What ever shall I do with my hair? _I had kept my brown hair in a long braid down the center of my back for as long as I could remember. I unbraided it slowly, shaking out my hair. _I guess this will do_… I ran my fingers through my hair. I didn't care enough to style it any better then it was now.

I walked back to the window. It seemed the parade had grown since I last saw it. I could no longer see the cobblestones: just a sea of dancing endless red. I could feel the heat the sunlight cast just inches away from my hand. All I had to do was reach out. _Did I dare? _No one would see me, they would be too consumed with the festivities of St. Marcus' Day. I lifted my hand towards the light. The second they met, the light danced across my hand, sending an array of sparkles across the floor and walls of my room. I left it there for several seconds before pulling it back in again. As I savored the warmth resonating from my hand, I became aware of the silence. The people were no longer cheering. _Had they seen me? _I took a step back, nervous. _What had I done? _I glanced towards the street. No one had seemed to notice anything. They carried on, marching and yelling, but I heard nothing at all. _What…? _I felt a hand close on my shoulder.

I jumped, spinning to face the owner of the hand. Alec smirked evilly and my hearing rushed back to me.

"Aro has summoned his pet."

He was wearing a high collared black suit over a scarlet silk vest. His dark hair had been neatly brushed, giving him a sophisticated air. Though I grimaced at him, I couldn't help but find him devilishly handsome. I shouldering past him towards the door, but my feet stopped before I could reach it, as if they had been glued to the floor.

"Wait," Alec said, sauntering towards me, "Let me have a look at you."

He walked around me slowly, circling like a vulture.

"My, my, don't we clean up well," he muttered, circling around to face me. I watched his burgundy eyes trail down the length of my dress, pausing at my chest, before trailing upwards and meeting my eyes. I glared at him. He simply smiled.

"Come along then human," he said, stepping away from me towards the door. As he did, I noticed a faint haze, similar to that which rises from the road on a hot day, retreat from around my ankles. I could move again.

We walked in silence until we arrived at the throne room. If I thought my first impression of the chamber had been extraordinary, that impression was put to shame by what I now beheld. Gold and scarlet draping ornately adorned the walls. Three brilliantly gilded thrones had replaced the previous black and gold ones. Above these new thrones was the signature Volturi crest: A splendid gold V encrusted with rubies. Aro stood behind the thrones, speaking in rapid Italian to two vampires while gesturing at various undecorated spaces on the walls. Dressed in an impressive black suit and cloak, he immediately turned to us at our arrival.

"Ah, Emma my dear, you look amazing. Let's have a twirl now—ah, excellent, excellent. Alec, my son, you will be quite the dashing young man this evening. Every one is sure to love you both."

He walked towards us, clasping his hands in front of him. The two vampires behind left the room.

"If it's not too much to ask, I would like you two to stand here, by the thrones, and greet the guests as they arrive this evening," he paused, smiling at me, "What a fine way to present yourself to our world, is it not dear Emma?"

I nodded my head.

"Excellent, excellent. Well now, I'm off to the entrance hall and I shall see you two at a later time. Until then."

He nodded his head curtly to the both of us before striding merrily towards the exit. There was silence.

"I'm going to return to my room. Tell Aro that's where I am if he asks."

Alec ignored me and settled into the center throne, reclining backwards and tossing his legs over the arm. He closed his eyes and was completely still.

* * *

_And I thought my first arrival at Volterra was the most vampires I had ever seen in one place. _The throne room had been transformed into an elaborate ballroom. Hundreds and hundreds of vampires, men and women, clad in dresses from every era, swirled around me. But I was not a part of it. No, I was standing by the thrones, between Alec and Jane, shaking hands with Aro's friends and doing absolutely nothing else. I would not have minded so much, if not for the men and women who observed me like some sort of eight legged dog.

"Truly peculiar," said Trudy Lipton as she finished circling me, "Frankly, I have never seen anything quite like it, have you dear?"

Her husband, perhaps the squattest vampire I've ever seen, nodded.

"Indeed, my dear Trudy," he paused eyeing me again out of the corner of his eye, "Well now, let's not miss much more of the party, shall we?"

He held his thick arm out for his wife.

"Good evening Jane, Alec," he paused, giving me a shaky nod, before returning to the ball.

"Odd couples aren't they?" Jane asked.

Perhaps it was the common boredom, or the lack of anything better to do. Or maybe she could understand the drag of being regarded as a specimen. Regardless, Jane was being unusually friendly to me. She pointed out various guests in the crowd of the crowd to me.

"That's Compte Armistead Calot," she said in a low voice, gesturing subtly towards a tall man dressed in a blue cloak, "He was a general under Napoleon. He speaks unimaginably much."

She pointed to a young blonde girl, dressed in an 18th century gown.

"That girl over there, she's about our age—seventeen that is. She's tolerable enough, except for that god-awful laugh of hers. She used to like Alec too, didn't she brother?"

Alec rolled his eyes, looking annoyed. Despite his sister's change in attitude, Alec did not seem the least bit kinder.

"Ah that man over there, by the door," she said, dropping her voice even lower as she gestured towards a handsome young man dress in black, "That's Alexander Henrich, one of Caius' friends. He's not…let's say…the nicest of people."

As if on cue, the man turned to look at me. I quickly looked towards the opposite wall.

Alec suddenly left his stone stance, turning to face Jan and I.

"Excuse me," he said to Jane, smiling as he shot me a look and gave Jane a knowing glance. He descended the stairs and entered the crowd.

"Where's he going?" I asked watching him part through the crowd.

"Angelina Boticci is here. Pretty girl, I guess. She and Alec are always going off during parties," she said, pointing to a beautiful girl, no older than eighteen or nineteen, I presumed, when she had been turned. I felt a lump grow in my throat as I watched Alec approach her, putting his hand around her waist and kissing her softly on the cheek. I became aware of a sudden pain in my hand; I had my hand balled into a tight fist.

"Are you alright Emma?" Jane asked, a delicate eyebrow raised.

"Yeah. Just bored to death is all," I muttered, watching Alec and the girl. As they disappeared through the door, his hand on her waist, Alec turned for the briefest second, sending me a smug smirk. "It's nothing Jane, I'm fine."

"Alright then," she said, leaving her post next to me and descending down the stairs.

"Where are you going?"

She smiled.

"I see my friend Claudia over there, whom I have not seen for at least a decade. I don't care what Aro wants any more; I'm off to join her. Farewell Emma."

She skipped off through the crowd and I was left alone. I glanced towards the door again, but Alec and his friend were long gone. _Why did I care so much? _Alec could do whatever he bloody wanted. Besides, he was a jerk, an unnecessarily cruel jerk, who had never shown any interest in my well-being. _Why should I care about his?_ I sighed and tucked my hair behind my ear. I could always join the party, but I did not desire to answer the various questions of vampires who could not comprehend that I was a fellow being. I could always return to my room, but it wouldn't be long before Aro had me summoned back. I grimaced and crossed my arms. _This would be a long night…_ I took a step backwards, intending to lean against one of the marble pillars, when someone grabbed my waist.

"Why don't you follow me sweetheart?" Caius' voice whispered in my ear as he pulled me backwards to face him. His friend Alexander stood behind him.

He couldn't have any good intentions. I thought quickly.

"Aro…he asked me to stay here." I said too slowly and shakily to state with any conviction.

Caius smirked, grabbing my wrists.

"Well I'm asking you to come with me," he replied slowly, pulling me towards him.

I opened my mouth to protest. _Think faster. _I didn't dare make a scene in front of Aro's friends. Caius frowned and his hands tightened painfully around my wrists.

"Now," he hissed, glancing towards the crowd.

He pulled me along, behind the pillars and out of the site of the partygoers. I attempted to drag my feet, a silent protest, but they slid too easily across the marble.

"Let me go," I cried, trying to pry Caius' hand from my wrist. He simply laughed.

"Save your energy for later," he drawled. His friend laughed. As the floor changed from marble to stone, I found myself able to stop my feet. I jerked my arm back, successfully freeing my arm.

"You despicable son of a bitch," I said, spitting in his face.

He turned, hitting me hard across the face. I fell to the ground. I felt like I'd fallen head first off a cliff.

"You insolent little whore," he sneered, yanking me painfully to my feet, "Just you wait. I'll teach you what disgrace is."

As we turned the next corner sharply, I could pick out two people wrapped around each other in the darkness at the end of the hallway. I felt the lump in my throat return. It was Alec, kissing his little friend, his hands wrapped tightly around her waist. Only when we were within ten feet of them, did they stop. Alec glanced up at me, his eyes emotionless. Caius never paused but continued dragging me around the next corner, thought he was not fast enough for me to miss her say, "Oh God, that's the half-breed?"

"Who was that?" Alexander asked.

"The boy? Don't mind him. Besides he can't stand the half-breed," Caius scoffed, finally stopping.

"Here we are," Caius snickered, opening a door and shoving me in, closing the door after him and turning on the light.

I stood up quickly, glancing around for another exit.

"Don't worry there isn't one," he sneered, sauntering towards me.

I backed up slowly, struggling to ignore the fear in my stomach. His friend laughed. _I can't hope to win backing up. _I stopped, staring hard at him.

Caius laughed.

"Told you she was bold. That's cute Emma, but I'm afraid there's nothing you can do my dear."

He shoved me backwards against the wall, forcing his mouth onto mine.

"I will never give into you," I said, turning my head and freeing my mouth from his.

He laughed, fingering the sleeve of my dress.

"I'm afraid," he drawled, tearing my sleeve, "You have no choice."

He forced his lips onto mine again.

_If I tried to fight him, I would lose. My head still throbbed from his last hit. I could barely think straight. But in my confusion, I still knew he was right: there was nothing I could do._

_In some distant world, I thought. heard my name being called._

_To be continued....Gosh I hate leaving thing hanging but that leave no suspense now does it. I have Part two right now--I'm dangling it over the metaphorical cauldron that is FanFiction......ok that was cheesy. Yes very much so but hey, who's in control here? Mwahahahahaha (starts coughing)_

_-Case Haley  
_


	5. 00 Deleted Scene 00

**Deleted Scenes**

**I took all these out from editing cause I thought they didn't exactly fit in. Figured some of you might like it. –Case Haley**

Scenario A:

Instead of returning to her room, Emma and Alec are forced to remain in the throne room, by Aro, until the guests arrive.

Aro strided merrily from the room, closing the heavy doors on his way out.

"So this are we supposed to stay here until evening?" I asked Alec.

He ignored me and settled into the center throne, reclining backwards and tossing his legs over the arm. I sighed and walk towards him, sitting down on the steps leading up to the thrones. His eyes were closed, as if he were a sleeping statue. It was silent. I stood up several times, pacing back and forth across the throne room to pacify my boredom. Alec remained still.

"How old are you Alec?" I asked finally, attempting to break the silence.

Alec never stirred. Silence again. I sighed and returned to pacing.

"Four hundred thirty-six," he said suddenly.

I turned towards him, surprised he had even answered.

"How old?"

"I was born in 1616," he said, his eyes still closed, "Do the math."

I paused for a moment.

"How did you become a vampire?"

Alec opened his eyes and scowled at me.

"Why are you talking to me?" He shot back.

I shrugged.

"Who knows? I'm just trying to break the silence since we're trapped in here."

"Well don't," he snapped, crossing his arm as he settled back into the throne and closed his eyes.

I huffed, standing up and walking towards the circle of light in the center of the floor. I lay down on my back, closing my eyes and allowing myself to absorb the warmth.

* * *

It would be three hours before the silence was broken again.

"About time," Alec said, opening his eyes and sitting up in the chair. The doors of the throne room flew open, as Jane traipsed in.

"Aro says the guests are beginning arrive."


	6. La Fête, Part 2

**Hehe... And now we have part 2...with 3500 more words than intended... OK by the way, there are several phrases in Italian---I speak french and english, not italian--humor me---but I think they're right for the most part. Translations for you none Italian speakers...or the Italians speakers who cannot understand me are at the bottom so.....**

**(Fox theme music begins....)**

**No more suspense! Part Deux du chapitre, La Fete!!!! (and yes the repeated line at the beginning was intentional)**

**-_Case Haley_  
**

**_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
**

_In some distant world, I thought. heard my name being called._

_Wait, there it was again._

Caius stopped, a low growl escaping his throat, as he turned angrily towards the door.

"Emma!"

Caius spun towards Alexander.

"Who the hell is that?"

Alexander shrugged.

"Emma!"

There was a knock at the door. Caius growled, storming towards the door and opening it at such an angle I was obscured from view.

"What?"

"Aro is looking for Emma," Marcus' voice said, "You wouldn't have happened to see her, would you?"

Caius stepped back as he entered the room.

"Ah there you are," he said, turning towards me, "Aro wants you to meet Gregory Rolands, a good friend of his."

I nodded slowly, walking towards him.

"Come now let's not keep Aro waiting."

He smiled, offering his arm to me. I took it, concentrating my attention at the open door to avoid meeting Caius' eyes.

"Gentlemen," Marcus said, nodding his head, as he left the room.

He did not say another word to me for several minutes. _What must he think of me? _

"Marcus, I swear, I never wanted…I…"

"I know, my dear. I figured something was up when Caius was gone and you were missing as well. But don't thank me, I had no idea where you were or whether my suspicions were even true."

We arrived in the elaborate entrance hall, leading to the throne room.

"Enjoy the rest of your evening Emma. Should you find yourself in any more trouble this evening, find me, I'll be here at the door."

"Thank you Marcus."

He nodded and disappeared into the crowd. I looked for Aro. He wasn't that hard to find: He stood laughing in the center of the room, engaged in the telling of a large lavish story.

"Sir."

He turned to me beaming.

"Ah Emma dear. How are you? This party is grand isn't it?"

I nodded. "Of course sir."

I turned towards the man at his right.

"Is this Mr. Rolands sir?"

Aro laughed, clapping his hands together.

"Mr. Rolands? No, this is Vladimir Dolov. Mr. Rolands? I don't quite remember any one of that name."

_So there was no Mr. Rolands? _Marcus had lied to me—though I was thoroughly grateful he had. But then what had he meant by 'don't thank me'? I had assumed he was referring to Aro.

"Alright. Never mind then sir."

Aro beamed happily at me before returning to his tale. I turned towards the door. I had nothing better to do than do return to my room. Besides I ran less risk of running into any more trouble there.

The halls leading to my room were silent. _I hate this. All of this. _I felt my eyes begin to sting. Of all the wretched human traits to have, why must I cry? I climbed up the stairs, pausing at the balcony on the landing. It was a full moon, and the streets were still lined with festive citizens of Volterra. _Look how they go, hand and hand, without a care in the world. _Even humans, from the vane to the drunks that lined the street, they had a world that belonged to them. But I was not one of them. Nor was a part of the vampire world. _Hell with the Volturi. _I wasn't one of them. Demetri, Heidi and Felix seemed to like me enough, but what could they do? Aro viewed me as some sort of collectible. Marcus never said anything to me. Caius…I knew what Caius' view of me. Jane rarely put up with me. And Alec… I paused. _Why did I care what the hell he thought? _He had his pretty little friend. He didn't give a damn about me. I watched a tear fall onto the stone rail of the balcony, glistening in the moonlight. _Why _did_ I care?_ Two young men stumbled into the street below, laughing loudly and chattering away in Italian.

"Guarda!" yelled the first, gesturing towards the balcony where I stood, "Un angelo su il balcone."

The second stumbled over looking up at me. I didn't care if they saw me_. _They'd be too hung over tomorrow to remember me anyway.

He waved at me.

"Ciao bella! Scendente verso ci!"

I sighed, wiping a tear away from my face as I stepped back from the balcony. _I just want to be alone.. _I walked back to my room, opening the door slowly and locking it behind me. I sniffed again, wiping my face.

"I hate this. All of this!" I screamed into the dark. I walked towards my bed slowly, wrapping my hands around my waist. I lay down across it, burying my face into the pillows.

"Emma?"

I sat up, glancing rapidly about.

"Who are you? Get out," I hissed, into the darkness.

Alec stepped out of the shadows.

"Emma…"

_Alec? Why are you here?_

"What the hell are you doing here Alec?"

"Emma," he started again.

"Why do you go back to your little girlfriend Alec, the half-breed wants to be alone," I retorted, "Go. I'm sure she's waiting for you. "

He shook his head. In the dark, I could see the hurt in his eyes

"It's my fault," he said, "If I had stayed where I was supposed, Caius in his right mind wouldn't have…" he stopped, his voice trailing off.

_What was he off about? _He walked towards me.

"I'm so sorry…It's all my fault Emma."

I lay down again, turning away from him.

"I'm fine. Go Alec. Leave me alone."

I heard him take a step towards me.

"Please Alec," I hissed.

The room was silent. I heard footsteps again, this time towards the door. There was a click and he was gone. Why would he feel so guilty? I couldn't help but wonder why. I sighed, closed my eyes. I hoped the rest of my night would past by in silence.

* * *

The peace didn't last long. I heard two voices complaining loudly outside my door.

"It's locked. Leave her be."

"No! If I don't speak to her now I swear, I will march downstairs and rip off his bloody head! I don't give a damn!"

There was a crack and I heard the metal lock break.

"Emma!"

The light flickered on and I was blinded for a moment. Someone seized my shoulders.

"Emma! Are you alright?"

My eyes focused.

"Demetri?" I glanced towards my door, "Heidi?"

"We heard what happened," she said, closing the door softly behind her.

"Damn right we did," Demetri snarled, releasing my shoulders and storming over to a large chair in the corner, "I swear, if had had known that whoreson bastard…I swear I will…"

Heidi rushed over to him, putting a hand on his chest.

"You will do nothing. You will sit in that chair until you are calm. Before you do something rash and get us all killed."

Demetri let out a low growl as he flung himself into the chair, causing it to creak.

"What happened Emma?" Heidi asked, sitting down on the bed next to me.

"I was in the ballroom standing by the thrones when Caius and his friend came up behind me and pulled me away…"

"That bastard won't get away with this…I swear I'll," Demetri growled, standing up.

"Sit down," Heidi hissed.

Demetri, his hands clenched into tight fists, sat down again.

"What happened then?" Heidi asked, tucking a strand of dark hair behind her ear.

"Well he dragged me off through some hall I was not familiar with. I managed to get free from him once, but he hit me, particularly hard I might add, and continued to drag me along."

Demetri muttered something low under his breath.

"Why didn't you run?" Heidi asked.

"I'm not entirely sure. That's what I should have done, but I decided to stand up to him."

"What'd you do?"

"I spat in his face and called him a son of a bitch," I said, thinking back to the expression on his face immediately after I had said it.

Demetri laughed.

"Wish I had been there."

"Shut up Metri. What happened then Emy?"

"He proceeded to drag me to some unknown room…"

Demetri growled again.

"He never got away with anything though, calm down Demetri. Marcus found me and took me away from him before he could."

"Is that all?" Heidi asked.

I nodded. The room was silent for a moment.

"What about Alec?" Demetri asked.

I turned towards him. "I ran across him when Caius was leading me away from the party. But what about him?"

"You don't know?" Heidi said, "Alec's the one who told Marcus what happened. We were talking to Marcus when he did."

"Didn't seem to happy about it either," Demetri chimed in.

"I don't blame him," Heidi said.

_Alec?_ What was wrong with him? Since when did he care what happened to the 'half-breed'?

"What do you mean Heidi? If you haven't noticed, the boy hates me."

"Yes, well that's one thing," she paused, "Did you ever hear the story about Jane and Alec?"

"I've been here for a week and a half Heidi. I haven't heard too much about anything."

Heidi rolled her eyes.

"Well, Jane and Alec were born in 1616, in Cattivo, a small Italian village in northeastern Italy. According to the villagers though, their birth was anything but normal. They say Jane cried and cried for days on end, without seizing, while her brother Alec was silent. Many thought him to be mute. Anyways, as they grew older, the villagers began to notice they were different from the other kids. They never played with anyone beside themselves. They were always communicating with each other without words. When they turned thirteen though, things began to change. Unlike the other gifted vampires here, they possessed traits of a similar nature during their human lives, though not as strong as they are now. Alec could create numbness, while Jane caused the people of her choosing to unwillingly recall memories of physical pain. Well, the villagers began to talk and they came to the conclusion they were witches. Late one night, the villagers stormed their house, dragging them to the center square where they were prepared to burn the witches at the stake. Luckily, Demetri and Aro had been keeping a close eye on them, hoping to change them once they reached the age of twenty."

"Humans are brutal animalistic creatures," Demetri sneered, "Who else would watch two beings be burned alive? The screaming was horrendous. And if that wasn't a worse enough fate, the humans found it just to torture them beforehand. Poor Jane got the worse of the two though. That's probably why Alec was so distraught when he told Marcus about you—probably reminded him of what he witnessed his sister endure. Then again…"

Demetri paused, looking down at the floor.

"Well luckily for those barbaric humans, the crowd dispersed before Aro decided the massacre of the village was worth Jane and Alec. 'Tis a shame, I would have enjoyed it too. We managed to save them within their last seconds of life. That's why there here now."

No wonder the two always seemed so bitter. I felt a tear fall down my cheek. I wiped it away roughly with the back of my hand.

"Awful, isn't?" Heidi said, standing up, "You should have seen them once they realized what they can do. They returned to the village and most literally tore it to the ground. Not a soul survived."

"It's one reason too," Demetri said, "They are so content to deal out punishment for any vampire that associates themselves with humans. It's one reason they haven't taken to kindly to you either."

I nodded. Though I could understand why they would resent me, I still found their cruelty towards me to be unnecessary.

"You think they're unpleasant now," Heidi said, turning towards me, "You should have seen their faces after the Cullens got off."

"The Cullens?"

"A vampire family. Consorts with the likes of humans and werewolves of all things. They're probably the only group of vampires that could rival us," Heidi explained.

"Attempt to," Demetri added. "They're leader is a good friend of Aro's. Or so they say. Always pushing the law some way or another, claiming to be vegetarians so they can live amongst humans."

"Vegetarians?" I asked.

"They survive off animal blood."

"That's odd," I muttered.

"Isn't though?" Heidi said. "They've all been together for the last hundred or so years, Carlisle, Aro's friend, and his wife, and their five vampire children."

"Five? You're forgetting Heidi," Demetri added, "There are nine of them now. Carlisle's son Edward married a human, and they had a child."

A child?

"Like me?"

Heidi nodded.

"Yep, 'cept she looks a bit more human than you do. Stirred up a pretty big mess."

_So I was not alone? _It would be interesting to meet them._ Maybe they were here tonight…_

"Are they here this evening?" I asked, turning towards Heidi.

Demetri laughed.

"_Here?_ They assembled a bloody army against us when we arrived, simply to sort out the misunderstanding that their daughter was indeed a human vampire hybrid and not an immortal child. They are _not_ friends of the Volturi."

Heidi nodded.

"It's true."

I sighed, falling back on the bed. Enemies or not, I felt a glimmer of hope that I was not alone in this world. The room was silent. I rolled over onto my stomach, closing my eyes and resting my chin on my hand. The bell tower outside my window struck a few more minutes of silence, Heidi spoke up.

"We should go Demetri and see if Aro needs us," Heidi said, "Are you going to be alright Emy?"

I nodded my head, my eyes still closed.

"Bye Emma," Demetri's voice drawled.

"Bye Demetri."

I heard the door shut. I was finally alone, but my mind was no longer peaceful. _There was another like me? The Volturi had enemies? And Alec… _I thought back to him, standing in my room. Jerk or not, if it wasn't for him, I don't know where I would be right now. Still, I did not know what to make of the incident. Or what would become of it…

I lay there in the silence until dawn broke and a new day began.

* * *

_Earlier the same day…_

"Alec."

My name comes floating back to me. I open my eyes slowly. Jane stands at the end of my bed.

"Master has summoned us."

I nodded, sitting up straight. Jane laughed.

"Your hair is a mess."

I stood up, ran my hand through my hair.

"I'm sure it is Janey."

She laughed again, skipping over to me and wrapping his hands around my waist.

"Ti amo mio fratello. Piu di tutto il mondoi"

I hugged her back, kissing her gently on the top of her head.

"Ti amo ancheii."

We left hand and hand for the throne room. In the last four hundred years, I'd seen the world around me change: people came and go, personalities changed for the best and the worst—yet Jane would always be the same in my world. She was everything—the only one I had in this world. We knew each other better than we knew ourselves. Even our parents couldn't have hoped to understand us.

The halls were silent as we passed, and neither one of us said a word. We entered the reception room. Maria, the latest human secretary, smiled up at us from behind her desk.

"Ciao Jane. Ciao Alec. How are you this morning?"

We passed her without a word. I could feel Jane's irritation, and it echoed my own. Of all the despicable creatures that existed in this world, humans were by far the lowest. My memory faltered back to the night Jane and I were executed. _Those despicable_ _beings_. For the first time in my life, I had been unable to protect Jane: I was not strong enough.

I felt Jane's hand tighten around my own, and I allowed myself to relax.

Things had changed though. I was powerful now, and no one would ever live to harm her again. We entered the throne room. Aro and Caius stood at the front of the room. Marcus was absent.

"You called for me master," I said, coming to a stop before them and nodding my head slightly. Aro returned the nod. Caius scowled. _I'd never liked him too much._

"Ah, young Alec, we have your suit ready for this evening. It should be ready on your bed when you return," Aro said giddily.

"Is that all?"

He shook his head, clasping his hands together.

"Once you are done, summon your sister Emma for me. I have a task for you both. Jane, I understand you are helping Heidi organize decorations. Please find me when you have completed said task."

Jane and I nodded, turning towards the door. We said nothing until the large gold doors of the throne room had closed behind us.

"What on earth do you think Master Aro, has in store for you and the half-breed?" She snickered, her high laugh ringing through the hall.

"God knows," I sighed. _Why must I always be sent to deal with the half-breed? _

"Perhaps Aro sees a match between you two," she giggled.

"Please," I scoffed, "Have you ever known me to consort with the likes of humans?"

She laughed again.

" 'Tis true brother."

We arrived at the door to my room.

"I shall see you later then, brother?"

I nodded.

"Of course dear sister."

She skipped off down the hall out of sight as I opened the door to my room, closing it quietly behind me.

* * *

32. 33. 34. Ah, 35.

I stood outside the room I had mentally labeled 35. With so many rooms, labeling each one made navigating the Volturi Palace all the more easier. As I raised my hand preparing to knock, I extended my power into the room, an automatic reaction I found myself doing before I entered any unknown space. It permitted me to detect the presence of other beings within the region I chose to extend my ability over. _There she was. _Though helpful, it often gave away my presence to those who were familiar with it. I laughed to myself. _It wasn't as if that gave them an advantage. _I opened the door slowly.

Emma stood by the window, her hand extended into the light.

"Expose us all why don't we?" I asked. She acted as if I were not there, as she would. She could not hear me. I laughed, sauntering towards her. The sunlight reflected brilliantly against her skin, a pale contrast to her dark hair that fell gently down her back. I came to a stop, fingering a strand of her hair. As if on cue, she pulled her hand out of the sun, suddenly glancing at the street.

"So gifted, Aro says. If wanted to kill you right now I could," I paused, bringing my face closer to hers. I could smell the sweet scent of her skin, not appetizing, like that of a human, yet considerably different from that of a vampire. I smiled.

"But you can't even hear me can you dear Emma?" I whispered into her ear. I placed my hand on her shoulder, retracting my power as I did so. She spun around sharply.

"Aro has summoned pet."

Her dark red eyes stared at me for a second, before narrowing. She stalked past me, throwing her shoulder into my chest as she did so. I extended my power again and I heard her feet shuffle to a stop behind me. I turned, striding towards her.

"Wait, let me have a look at you."

I walked around her slowly, taking in her dress—Heidi's work no doubt—where it curved gently along her body. _Heidi did always prefer low cut dresses. _I smiled to myself. _No wonder Heidi was so good at her job… _

"My, my, don't we clean up well."

She glared at me and I simply smiled back.

"Come along then human."

We walked quietly to the throne room. From the hall I could hear Aro in an elaborate description of a particular draping he wanted placed on the right wall. We entered, Emma trailing close behind me. Aro turned towards us, clapping his hands merrily.

"Ah, Emma my dear, you look amazing. Let's have a twirl now—ah, excellent, excellent. Alec, my son, you will be quite the dashing young man this evening. Every one is sure to love you both."

He walked towards us, clasping his hands in front of him. The two vampires, Loretta and Antonio, who'd often been called to help when Aro decided to act on one of his elaborate schemes, turned and left, leaving the three of us alone.

"If it's not too much to ask…" Aro started.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

"I would like you two to stand here, by the thrones, and greet the guests as they arrive this evening," he paused, smiling at the half-breed, "What a fine way to present yourself to our world, is it not dear Emma?"

I turned my gaze towards the wall to refrain from snorting.

"Excellent, excellent. Well now, I'm off to the entrance hall and I shall see you two at a later time. Until then," Aro nodded at us both before exiting the room.

I turned and headed towards the center throne in the center of the room. Despite the last minute decorations, this would probably be the least hectic room of the palace for the next few hours. I sat down, laying across it with my legs over the arm. I closed my eyes. _Silence. Sweet peaceful silence._ I was so absorbed I barely heard Emma's remark about returning to her room or something like that. I sighed, settling deeper into the chair. It would be another long night, complete with Aro's odd friends and Caius' cruel and disturbed friends—who I would kill should they approach Jane with as much disrespect as the last time. Due to the shame it would bring to Aro, Jane was forced to abstain from using her powers during parties, for any reason whatsoever. I didn't appreciate this rule at all. Not one bit. Especially with the like of Alexander Henrich roaming around. _How dare that bastard grope on her like that? _Thankfully my ability was considerably less noticeable than Jane's, and I could easily use it without detection. I smiled to myself; I'm not even sure how long it took him to regain his senses, standing there in the center of the floor like a buffoon. Then again, the party may not be a bad as the others. Jane and I weren't the specimens this round. _And there was always Angelina… _I smiled. She was probably one of the prettiest vampires I ever saw. _And ever so eager to wander off when I got bored out of my mind… _I felt a little sorry for her though. As much a she liked me—always whispering dirty little things in my ear, letting me do whatever I wanted—she was too stupid to realize I would never fall for her. Pretty or not, she was shallow, much to easy, and completely oblivious to the world around her. I crossed my arms tighter. _Least the half-breed would be something else to look at tonight. _

* * *

_God how I hated the Liptons. Such an odd ugly couple. _

The woman said her final remarks about Emma to her husband before curtsying at me. The man gave us a curt nod, before shuffling into the crowd after his wife. Jane was in an unusually happy mood this evening. At times, she was even conversing with Emma, as if they were old friends. I rolled my eyes, ignoring the two the best I could as I scanned the crowd for Angelina.

"She used to like you too, didn't she Alec?" Jane asked, nudging my arm. I followed her gaze towards Beatrice Faun, an impeccably intolerable girl with a laugh that rivaled humans on my most despised list.

I frowned and Jane laughed. Emma glanced towards me, only to turn away when her eyes met mine. I stared at her for a moment longer, turning my attention back to the crowd. _There she is. _Angelina stood by the door, dressed in a remarkably scandalous dress. _Not that I cared… _ I turned towards Jane.

"Excuse me," I said, smirking at Jane. Emma stared at me, her pretty face pulled into a frown. I raised my eyebrows at her before descending the stair to the dance floor. I parted through the crowd, occasionally using my power to shove aside the oblivious guest or two.

"Alec, dear," she drawled, waving at me as I approached.

I sauntered to her wrapping my hand around her thin waist and kissing her softly on the cheek. She giggled softly, kissing me back.

"I though you would never come. All that time you spent up there glancing at that girl. The half-breed, right?" She asked, turning towards William, an occasional friend of mind.

"So Caius says," he replied.

"Emma?" I asked.

"Right," she sighed, "Name or not, its still a half-breed."

I said nothing. She stopped, pouting out her lip.

"No need to be so touchy Alec," she whined, "Don't worry, I can make it all better though."

She kissed me on the cheek as she intertwined her fingers with mine. Still annoyed, I glanced back towards the thrones where Jane and Emma stood. Jane was looking off towards the right, yet Emma was staring straight at me.

"Let's go," Angelina urged again, pulling my hand.

I let myself be taken from the ball.

* * *

"You know Alec," Angelina drawled, pressing her body against me, "You look really sexy tonight."

We were hidden away out of the sight of partygoers, deep in one of the halls behind the throne room. I groaned as she kissed me again. She stopped, staring me hard in the eyes.

"What's wrong baby? Aren't you having fun?" She stroked the side of my face."I wore this dress just for you, and you've barely noticed it," she pouted.

"Yea its fine," I muttered. I was seriously debating returning to the ball.

"Fine?" She said, standing up straight. "Come on Alec you can do better than that."

She grabbed my hands, bringing them to rest on her hips. She leaned forward again, bringing her lips to mine. _Might as well…she won't give up anyways. _As I pulled her closer to deepen the kiss, I heard angry voices at the end of the hall.

"Just you wait, I'll teach you what disgrace is," Caius' voice sneered.

The footsteps increased. I opened my eyes annoyed. _What now Caius? _I felt a pang of shock curse through me as I recognized Emma.

* * *

_Flashback_

There was a loud crack as the door burst. They stormed into the room, torches and weapons raised.

"They there are," screamed Alfonso, thrusting his torch in our direction.

A large man came at me, his arms outstretched. I dodged his arms, headed for Jane. Alfonso grabbed her around the waist, only to release her suddenly, his face tightly clenched.

"Damned witch," he hissed, extending his hand towards her throat.

"You stay away from her," I yelled, throwing my fist as hard as I could into his fat nose.

He groaned falling to the floor. More men swarmed in, racing towards Jane and I. A tight hand closed around my wrist, loosen itself almost immediately upon touching me. I twisted away from him only to be grabbed again.

"Jane!" I cried, watching the men lead her away.

Her scream was muffled. I could no longer see her through the crowd.

He groaned falling to the floor. More men swarmed in, racing towards Jane and I. A tight hand closed around my wrist, only to loosen itself almost immediately upon touching me. I twisted away from him only to be grabbed again.

"Jane!" I cried, watching the men lead her away.

Her scream was muffled. I could no longer see her through the crowd.

"Jane," I cried again, but it was no use, she would not her me.

I looked up slowly. _Traitors…_What had we ever done to them? Even Gianni, a boy our age, stood amongst the crowd, a torch in his hand. There was a scream and Jane broke through the crowd, rushing towards me. Tears streaked down her face as her eyes mine. She knew as well as I did there was nothing either one of us could do; And all the world around us would just stand and watch. I could see it in her eyes. _That look ..._

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
_

"Oh God it's the half-breed," Angelina said, laughing loudly. She turned back to me, leaning in to kiss me again. I turned away, my eyes still fixed on the corner Caius and Emma had just disappeared behind

She laughed.

"Don't play with me Alec. You can't be that concerned with it."

"Her. Emma's not a thing."

Angelina huffed.

"It's a half-breed."

"Don't say that," I growled, surprised at the anger in my voice.

"You even said that about the half-breed. Why should it matter when I say it? Really, Alec…"

"Shut up," I growled at her, pushing her away.

She ran an annoyed hand through her hair. "Alec, you can't seriously…"

"Angelina, I told you to shut the hell up."

She stood up, glaring at me.

"Are you fucking serious?" She growled. She raised her hand, attempting to slap me. I caught.

"Get over yourself," I hissed, watching the consciousness fade to her eyes. I walked down the hall way, in the direction of Caius and Emma. I heard a loud laugh from his friend. Though I probably could, I didn't dare attempt to fight Caius. _Oh God, what else could I do? _I paced back down the hallway, past a still incapacitated Angelina. I raced up the stairs towards the ball. With every step, my mind replayed Emma's expression. I arrived at the main floor. _What was there that I could do? _I certainly could do nothing. There was no way in hell I would drag Jane into this. Aro was amidst his friends. _He would be a real help. _I entered the ballroom, glancing around. I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Alec my boy, are you alright?" Marcus asked, turning my shoulder to face him. Demetri and Heidi stood at his side.

"Emma," I said.

Demetri raised an eyebrow. Marcus stared at me.

"What about her?"

"Caius, he has her…" I started, in my urgency switching to my native Italian. "Downstairs, Caius has Emma downstairs with him and that Henrich."

Marcus stared hard at me. I watched Demetri eyes widen. Heidi reached out suddenly, grabbing his arm.

"Excuse us," she said leading him away.

"Mostramiiii. Take me to her," he said, gesturing towards the exit of the throne room.

I lead him back through the halls, passing an enraged Angelina as I did so. _Her problem, not mine. _We stopped at the last hallway.

"Go now," he said, "It would be best not to get yourself into a dispute with Caius."

I nodded turning back towards the stairs.

* * *

I paced back in forth in the dark. I had not seen Marcus or Emma for what felt like an eternity. I ran my hand through my hair. _How stupid was I? _Why did I think Marcus could have gotten to her in time? I paced in front on her window again. _It was my fault. _I was too busy , caught up with Angelina…Caius in his right mind wouldn't have gone off with her. I paced back again. _Why did I care so much? _I heard a sound outside the door. I backed up, disappearing from the light. The door open and Emma walked in, closing it softly behind her. The sleeve of her dress was torn and in the moonlight, I could see a silvery mark across her face that resembled a bruise. She wiped her eyes, stepping towards the bed, her hands wrapped around her waist.

"I hate this! All of this!" She screamed suddenly, sobbing again.

_This was all my fault. She would have never gone through any of this…_

She lay down across her bed, resting her head amongst her pillows.

"Emma?" I said finally.

She sat up, looking around for me in the darkness.

"Who are you?" She said, her voice shaky as she wiped her face again, "Get out."

I stepped forward into the moonlight.

"Emma…" _What could I say to her?_

"What the hell are you doing here Alec?"

"Emma," I started again. _I'm so sorry._

"Why do you go back to your little girlfriend Alec, the half-breed wants to be alone," she hissed, but I could hear the hurt in her voice.

"Go. I'm sure she's waiting for you. "

I shook my head. _No, Emma…_

"It's my fault," I said, "If I had stayed where I was supposed, Caius in his right mind wouldn't have…" he stopped, his voice trailing off.

I took a step towards her.

"I'm so sorry…It's all my fault Emma."

She turned away from me.

"I'm fine. Go Alec. Leave me alone."

I took another step towards her.

"Please Alec."

I nodded in the darkness and left the room.

* * *

The wind blew softly as I looked out onto the city. The bell tower had just stuck four. _The sun would be up soon. _From the roof, I could well past the mountains, where the faintest lights of the sun began to glow. I sighed closing my eyes. Amongst the various things my power allowed me to do, I could place myself into a sleeplike state, barely conscious of the world around me. I glanced towards the horizon. I groaned, lying on my back. I felt sick, a sensation I don't recall having since I was human. I rubbed my eyes. _Che Vita__i v_. I sat up again, staring hard at the sun.

I felt her presence before I heard her approach. Jane placed her small hand on my shoulder before she sat down beside me.

"It will be a pretty sunrise won't it," she whispered excitedly, holding onto my hand.

I said nothing.

"You know," She said softly, placing her head on my shoulder, "You are too protective for your own good sometimes."

I glanced at her. There was silence.

"Ti amo Alec v," She whispered quietly.

I nodded my head, remaining silent. Jane understood I preferred the silence. As I watched the sunrise I turned, resting my head on hers. It would not be long before the sun was up and a new day began.

* * *

i I love you brother. More than all the world. (bear with me, I speak French and English, not Italian)

ii I love you too.

iii show me

iv what a life.

v I love you

* * *

**So hey, whatd'ya think? Several Things:  
**

a. **I was about to add this chapter, then I thought, hey, let's add Alecs POV--its now 3500 words longer**

b. **Sorry if parts of it border the rating line, felt it as necessary**

c. **Read and REVIEW! haha, lemme me know: good bad, ugly(well it cant be that Alec's in it) Any opinion--alright almost any opinion--is helpful**

d. **Alec and I aren't getting married---sorry guys, but its true and I hope to see you all at the wedding lolol xD  
**

e._** HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!**_

-Case Haley


	7. A New Day

**Happy Holidays!!! What's a better Christmas gift than a new Chapter, eh? I can't think of one....ok I can but that's irrelevant. And Amongst Their Ranks continues. **

**I'm the writer. You're the reader. Readers Read ON!**

-Case Haley

"Emma?"

I felt up a rough hand shake me awake. I sat up sharply, rubbing my eyes as I glanced towards the owner of the hand. Felix cocked his head.

"You can sleep?" He asked.

I nodded, standing up. Felix shrugged.

"That's odd."

"Thanks," I muttered, sauntering towards my vanity. I plopped down, looking at the disgruntled girl staring back at me. My long black hair was tangled and twisted. In the light, I could see the silvery trace of what I knew was a bruise across my upper cheek. _Caius…_I swear I would make Caius pay for last night. I groaned, leaning closer to the mirror.

"I heard about last night," Felix said, peering over my shoulder into the mirror, "I'm so sorry Emma. I just heard about it this morning."

"It's fine. I'm alright," I grumbled, examining my cheek. I sat down in my chair again, snatching the brush from the glass table in front of me.

"I might as well tell you why I'm up here then," Felix said, sitting down on my bed as I began rapidly brushing my hair, "Heidi sent me to let you know that she's going shopping today and she's taking you along."

I snorted, setting my brush down and walking to the window. The sky was cloudy and gray, the perfect day for anyone to leave the Volturi castle.

"As much as I would like to shop with Heidi, I'll pass," I said, walking over to my closet.

"I don't think that's a choice you'll get to make," Felix laughed.

I sighed.

"You're probably right," I said, grabbing a gray v-neck and jeans—the most nondescript articles of clothing in my wardrobe. I was still wearing my torn ball gown from last night.

"Well then, if I have to go, I'll need to change. Turn around Felix."

He raised his eyebrows.

"I'm serious," I repeated.

Felix stood up, crossing the room to stand on the balcony. I slipped off my dress, pulled my t-shirt over my head. I yanked on my jeans, skirting around my bed to where my boots lay. I had gotten my boots from a trader during the First World War I. They had endured innumerable miles of walking and running, remaining durable for nearly 140 years. I pulled them on my feet, tying the laces tightly. Felix reentered my room from the balcony.

"You are fully aware that Heidi will strangle you when she sees those. She hates anything without a shiny buckle or a price tag still attached." He laughed deeply.

I walked over to my bedpost, snatching up my jacket.

"Amusing Felix."

I strode to my door opening it wide.

"Aro wants you."

Jane was standing in my doorway, her pretty face twisted into a sour expression.

"I was just heading there," Felix replied, his humorous tone gone, "I'll take her there myself."

"No," Jane snapped. "You're lying. Besides, Aro asked me to and I shall complete the task my master has asked of me."

I glanced back towards Felix. His dark eyes were fixed on Jane.

"Come now half-breed," she hissed.

I nodded slowly, following after her. She moved quickly, at times forcing me to catch up.

"What does Aro want?" I asked as we spun around the next corner.

"Shut up," she snapped. At last we reached the final hallway to the throne room. Jane took a sudden turn to the left.

"The throne room's there Jane," I replied.

"I know where it is," she hissed, "Aro's in here."

Why was Aro meeting with me in a different room? I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach. I could only fathom why he would want to meet with me. What would I tell him? He wouldn't address the matter if he didn't care. What did he think? I could only imagine. He was probably furious that his party had been interrupted by such an event. As we approached the door at the end of the hall, I new dread began to build within me. Maybe he sided with Caius. What if he did side with Caius? What would become of me then?

"He's in here," Jane said, pushing open the door.

The room was small, considerable smaller than the throne room. The walls were made of the same stone as the floor. Except for a crude fireplace and a small dank window, they were bare.

"Where's Aro?" I asked, stepping off the landing into the room.

Before I could take another step, a hard heavy blow collided with the center of my back, sending me spiraling across the floor into the wall. The back of my head hit the wall with a loud crack. I slid to the floor, my head throbbing. Before I could open my eyes, I was yanked to my feet and pressed against the wall.

"You lowlife bitch," Jane hissed, "You just like being the center of attention don't you? Aro's perfect display at the ball, Caius' pretty little whore, you get around well for a half-breed."

She laughed and tightened her grip around my throat.

"And then you attempt the blame my brother for your indiscretions to the point he's forced to apologize to you out of sheer pity—all because you're a pathetic slut who chooses to dress like a tramp."

I shrugged out of her grip, jumping away from her. _How dare she? _I was livid, more than I'd ever been before. I wanted to smack the smirk off her face.

"My fault? My fault?!" I shouted, "How on Earth is it my fault? I have done nothing to anyone. I have done nothing to Caius, to Aro, to you or Alec. Can I be blamed that Aro likes me more than you? Or that Caius is a sick bastard? Or better yet, your brother is a pathetic excuse for a being that is too easily suckered into pitying? You and your brother can go to hell."

Jane eyes faded rapidly to black.

"Pain."

The most imaginable pain consumed me instantly. It was as though my head was going to explode. I felt as if I would die. It lasted for an eternity before fading into a painful throb. I propped myself up on my elbows, shaking violently. Jane's hand struck out, pinning me against the wall again.

"You speak ill of my brother again half-breed, and I swear I will kill you more painfully than anyone in this world could possibly fathom."

She let out a low growl and tossed me to the ground. Without a final glance or word, she disappeared through the door, letting it slam behind her. I stood up slowly, bracing myself against the wall. _And I almost felt sorry for them. _No wonder their town wanted them dead. My head continued to throb as I stumbled out into the hallway, though it was nothing compared to what I had experienced a minute ago. I rubbed my temples in an attempt to stop my headache. _She's delightful. _I would pay her back someday for that. I groaned, sliding against the wall to the floor. _So Alec's apology had been a lie? _I found this much more suiting to his personality than a true and considerate apology.

"Emma!" Heidi said, appearing at the end of the hall. She wore a pink denim jacket over her sundress. Her dark hair was pulled back with an equally bright pink headband.

"Ready to go?" She said, scanning me with unnaturally purple eyes, her gaze finally resting on my boots. I stood up slowly.

"Where's the shopping spirit Emy? Let's go now!" She paused, cocking her head at me, "What were you doing on the floor?"

"Headache," I grumbled.

"You get headaches?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

I shrugged.

"Shall we go then and get it over with?"

She laughed. "Over with? You act as if I parading you to your execution! I know you'll have fun!"

_Fun….right. _

* * *

It felt so good to be free of the twisted labyrinth that was vampire Volterra. Though the sun was obscured by clouds, the air was warm. Shopping with Heidi had proved to be considerably less miserable than I would have believed it to be. Money was unlimited, and with Heidi's previous shopping experiences, we were treated like royalty at nearly every shop we entered.

"Here, try these," crooned the saleswoman, thrusting another pair of shoes under my nose. As immediately as we had begun shopping, Heidi had become hard-pressed to rid me of my boots. I opened the elegant box and pulled out a long knee-high boot.

"Are you serious Heidi?" I asked, examining the four-inch heel.

"Just try them!" She said, standing up to examine an extraordinarily high pair of stilettos.

I yanked them onto my feet, noticing the faint tense of the saleswoman smile. _Not that she cared too much…_Why should she, when her client would spend considerably more than the thousand dollar shoes she was wearing. I stood up slowly. Heidi high laugh rang out through the boutique.

"They're darling!" She exclaimed, "We'll take them!"

The saleswoman gave a nod and proceeded to take the box to the growing pile atop the register. I stood up barefoot, pacing along the wall for another pair. My eyes caught a pair of black riding boots, with small brass studs along the side.

"These are nice," I muttered to Heidi behind me.

Before I could turn around to show them to Heidi, the saleswoman was at my side, opening a box of boots in my size. I sat down, pulling them onto my feet.

"Heidi, look," I said, gliding over to her.

She smiled.

"My hard work is paying off. You are adapting a better fashion sense."

I rolled my eyes and she grabbed my hand, pulling me closer to her.

"Turn, let me see."

I turned slowly.

"These are nice, and there perhaps the closest thing in here to those monstrous lumps of leather you call boots. Beside the point, they're comfortable and they'll help you fit in while you're there."

"There? Where's there?" I asked. _What is she talking about?_

Heidi shrugged too quickly to look convincing.

"Who knows? Where ever you are I guess."

She stood up quickly, pretending to look at another pair of shoes.

"What are you talking about Heidi? I know you're lying to me—you're a bad liar"

She shrugged whimsically, picking up a pair of neon heels.

"Heidi!" I hissed, "What do you know that I know that I don't? Tell me!"

She turned around, her purple eyes nervous.

"Aro, he'll probably tell you tomorrow, if not today."

"Tell me what?"

She shook her head and skirted around me to the other side of the boutique.

"Heidi!"

As I walked towards her, the saleswoman stepped in front of me.

"Will you be getting the boots then?"

I nodded, shooting her a dry look as I did so. She nodded curtly and shimmied out of my way.

"Heidi!"

I attempted to grab her arm as she skirted past me again, but she slid out of my grasp easily. Being outside of the castle had made me more human. My strength had decreased—though my reactions for the most part remained the same—and I was considerably less pale. _Damned human traits._

"Fine," she said, "Aro has a mission planned for you and he plans to tell you about it. I have sworn not to mention it, so please don't press the issue. It really stresses me that I can't tell you, Em, it really does, but there's not much more I can say."

_Mission? _Aro actually had something productive for me to do? _That's a first. _I wondered what it could be. Hopefully something interesting, but not too challenging—especially when I would be stuck for the next day with the disadvantages of a human. I shrugged.

"Fine."

Heidi smiled and called out to the saleswoman. She nearly tripped, but she was at our side almost immediately.

"Yes?"

"We'll get these now," Heidi said, handing the woman a shiny black credit card.

* * *

We arrived at the entrance to the palace at three, our trip cut short by the sudden appearance of the sun. We arrived in time, stepping under the overhang of the door as the sunlight poured into the street. Out of curiosity, I held my hand into the light.

"What are you doing?" Heidi hissed.

I smirked.

"Look."

My hand did not shimmer in the sunlight. In fact, it shone no differently than any human hand would.

"No wonder Aro wanted you so badly," Heidi remarked, "You fit right in."

I shrugged, pulling my hand back. Heidi leaned in close to me, cocking her head.

"You eyes too. My contacts have nearly disintegrated and my eyes are nearly red. Yours have almost faded as well, and your eyes are dark blue."

"The joys of becoming a human," I replied sarcastically.

She rolled her eyes and knocked on the door.

"This is the guest entrance, if you will. I hate using the sewer gate."

The door opened slowly.

"About time you two," Demetri said, "The sun's out and I was beginning to fear the shopping had killed Emma."

I laughed.

"It got close."

He chuckled, sending a sly smirk to Heidi.

"And how are you today?"

"I'm great. I got several pairs of shoes for myself, and I bought Emma a couple as well."

"A couple? You bought me eight pairs!"

"Yes, well, you needed them," she said.

Demetri raised his eyebrows.

"Did she get you new boots?" He asked slowly.

"Yes. Why do you ask?"

"Felix owes me first choice when you bring in the next group of humans."

I rolled my eyes. _Those two would make a bet like that. _

"Well I don't intend to get rid of my old boots, if that changes anything."

"We'll see about that," Heidi muttered under her breath as we descended the spiral stairs to the elevator.

We were silent as the elevator clinked to life and cranked upwards. The door finally opened.

"I have to speak with Aro," Heidi said, "I'll meet up with you all later."

I nodded.

"Unfortunately, I'm off too. I have to claim my bet before Felix forgets," he smirked, disappearing around the same corner as Heidi.

I wandered the halls of the entranceway, admiring the elaborate portraits that adorned the walls. I heard a giggle from the receptionist's office. I tiptoed towards the noise, peering around the corner. _How quaint. _Alec was leaning against the desk, a smirk playing across his face as Maria giggled uncontrollably.

"Found another whore, did you?" I scoffed too fast for Maria to hear.

He stood up grimacing.

"Always ruining everyone's fun, aren't you?"

"At least I'm sincere."

He rolled his eyes.

"What do you want half-breed?"

"Me?" I asked innocently, stepping towards him, "This isn't about me. It's a bout your delightful sister Jane. I had the most wonderful chat with her this morning. She's quite insightful, you know. Nothing is quite like learning how pathetic her brother is while being intimidated by Jane's own pathetic self. Delightful twins, you two; your parents must have been proud."

Alec was in front of me before I could blink.

"I could have left you at Caius' mercy. God damn it, you don't know how much I wish I had," he growled.

I took a step back.

"But you couldn't, could you? It would've broken your sweet little heart to learn you are too weak to stand up for anything. Too late for that."

A loud growl escaped Alec throat. I took a step back, all the while watching the haze around he feet seep slowly towards me, as I had expected it would. He seemed to notice it as well and the mist pushed further towards me. I continued to back up, avoiding it completely. My success emboldened me, while enraging Alec.

"You probably couldn't help it could you? It's tough trying to be a man, when you'll forever remain a boy."

I jumped up onto the staircase as Alec lunged for me. By now, Maria had vanished.

He swung his arm out at me, but I missed it narrowly—my reflexes were still slower than usual.

"You little bitch!" He hissed, lunging for me again.

"Emma!"

I turned suddenly at the name of my name being called from the hall. I turned, forgetting my position. Alec's arm collided with my stomach tossing me back several meters into the piano. He stood up suddenly, turning towards the door.

"Demetri," he said, nodding.

Demetri stepped into the room, his eyes glancing between Alec and I.

"Aro has requested your presence Emma," he said.

I nodded, standing up from the floor. He raised his eyebrows, glancing between Alec and I again. He turned on his heel, heading in the direction of the throne room. _So this was it. _Aro's brilliant plan for me would finally be revealed.

We arrived at the gold doors to the throne room more quickly than I would have imagined. Demetri pushed open the doors. There were as many members of the Volutri present, as there had been when I first arrived. Out of habit, I glanced towards the thrones. Aro was beaming widely at me, while Marcus remained unemotional. Caius, however, was staring straight at me, a sneer riddled across his face.

"Emma!" Aro proclaimed, "Welcome. Please step forward, I have some most excellent news for you."

_Here it goes. _I stepped forward. Behind me, I heard the dull thud of the doors closing.

The room was silent as Aro began.

"As you well know, and many of us can now see, you possess a unique ability. You can fit in amongst humans, a feat I can assure you, no other amongst our ranks could accomplish. It is for this reason, I have decided to utilize this particularly extraordinary gift."

He paused. I watched several members of the Volturi glance at each other. _Here it comes. _

"Is it correct to presume that you have heard of the Cullens, my dear Emma?"

I heard Jane release a low hiss at the name.

"I have heard the name sir," I replied.

"The Cullen's are a rival vampire family living in Forks, Washington, a small community in the northwestern region of the United States. More remarkably however, the family share the same region as humans. Though, Carlisle, a good friend of mine, is the leader of the clan, I retain my suspicions. Why else then should they form an army at our arrival, an army, I might add, which included relatives of our enemy, the werewolf.

My request for you my dear Emma, is to spend the next year in Forks, adapting to the local population. From Forks, you shall report to us the doings of the Cullen clan."

"You want me to be a spy?" I asked.

"Spy is so negative," Aro replied, "Besides, spies are used against enemies, not friends. You shall arrive in Forks in the next few days, giving you time to assimilate to the region before you begin attending the local high school in September, posing as a student."

_He wants me to pose as a teenager, to become a spy? _Brilliant.

"Yes sir."

My mind was still processing his words when it hit me. I was free. I was leaving Volterra. I could do whatever I damn well pleased, without worrying about Caius or my favorite twins. . Though I would find myself missing my friends, I could not suppress the overwhelming excitement building in my chest.

"Excellent," Aro exclaimed, standing up giddily from his chair as he registered the excitement growing on my face, "Well now, I shall have your flight and arrangements made within the next three days and you will be off to America. Even though your will be enrolled as a new student at the local student, you will be have access to a house, car, funds, and anything else you require during your stay. I shall make sure you and your guard will have everything you need."

The cloud I had been floating on since Aro first announced I would be leaving popped.

"A guard? I'm sure I can handle the voyage alone sir." I asked slowly.

"Nonsense! Surely I wouldn't send a young lady there by herself? What type of man would I be then?"

_One less man I would have to kill. _Aro's bright eyes scanned my face as he laughed loudly.

"No, no dear Emma I insist. You will not only have a link to us here an Italy, but a protector as well, should you find yourself in a less than pleasant situation."

I opened my mouth to protest, but Aro waved me silent.

"Besides it's already been arranged. Besides, I don't believe Alec has left Volterra for an extended period since he's arrived."

_ALEC?! _I did make slightest attempt to hide my shock. _Was Aro mad or was this some sick joke he'd planned?_

"Scuse?" Alec said stepping forward from behind me, his red eyes wide and incredulous as he stared at Aro. "Am I mistaken?" He asked, the shock embedded in his expression twisting towards anger, "I believe you just said…"

"You will be accompanying Emma to Forks, Alec. You heard right."

"My place is here in Volterra," he sputtered out, "Not in some godforsaken town in America with…" he shouted, flinging his arm in my direction, "_that._"

I laughed spitefully, stepping towards him. "I'm delighted to be stuck with you as well, _Alec,_" I hissed.

"Ha!" Alec exclaimed with the exasperation of a child before a tantrum, "I have to spend my precious time putting up with this?"

He stood before Aro now, pointing angrily at me. "I'm one of the most indispensable members of the Volturi guard, the most powerful vampires in this world! I am not a watch dog," he snarled, "You truly think you can accomplish any thing if I'm wasting my days making sure the half-breed doesn't trip?"

Caius stood up sharply. "Enough!" He shouted, slapping Alec across the face. "You will watch your tongue boy!"

Alec lurched forward towards Caius. Within a second Jane was in front of him, holding him back. She muttered something rapidly to him in Italian and he stopped struggling against her. She turned towards to face Caius and Aro.

"Masters," she said nodding, "Forgive my brother. He's acting out of rage, not reason."

"Caius, brother," Aro said softly, reaching out to him.

Caius glared at Jane as he slumped back into his chair. Aro nodded.

"When everyone has taken some time to absorb the matter, we shall reconvene," Aro said, his familiar humor gone.

I turned quickly, not pausing for a final glance around the room. I would return to my room, lock my door, and sit up there until everything blew over. _Or Aro decides against his decision… _Behind me I heard the loud crack as the metal door to the throne room ricocheted off the wall. Alec was conversing in a loud and rapid Italian, not bothering to mask the fury in his voice. Every now and then, Jane uttered some soothing phrase. I turned sharply, hiding around the corner. I could pick up most of it.

"Alec, brother, don't trouble yourself. Aro wouldn't make you go in his right mind. He was probably testing you. You shouldn't…"

"What Jane? You heard him. Have you ever known Aro to joke? I'm going and there is nothing I can say to change his mind."

"I'm sure there's…"

"There isn't anything Jane, don't you get it?" Alec cried.

Jane was silent for a moment.

"Perhaps we should convince the half-breed to change her mind?"

I froze. _Could she sense me? _

"No, I don't feel like finding her. Besides, she has even less power to convince Aro than myself."

"Perhaps it would cheer you up?" She asked.

"No," he growled, "I want to be alone. I don't care about the half-breed."

"Aw, come on Alec."

"No," he hissed, "leave me alone Jane."

I heard Jane huff as her light footsteps faded into the distance. I relaxed, standing up from the wall. I turned to leave as Alec swung around the corner. His red eyes were black and his anger made his face unrecognizable. He passed me, without a glance or remark, speeding up his stride until he was out of sight. I relaxed against the wall, stepping cautiously into hall. I rushed quickly to the room, my mind racing. I shut the door immediately behind me, collapsing against the back of it.

_I was going to pose a teenager to get close to the one vampire clan in this world that the Volturi viewed as a threat…and every second I was there, Alec would be standing over me. I would be far from the protection of Demetri and Felix and well out from under the protective eye of Aro. There was nothing I could say that would influence my fate. I groaned. They might as well just kill me now._

* * *

Scuse- excuse me

**_And so the plot truly begins to unfold. We can only imagine what will happen next....XD _**

**So what do you think? Let me know! I try my hardest to head the advice of my reviewers. Let me know what you want to see!**

**Until next time, HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!!**

**-Case M. Haley**


	8. After Tomorrow

**Hello dear readers!!! Happy New Year!!! Well my latest chapter is finally up so without further ado (drumroll=me hitting my desk with chopsticks) **

_**After Tomorrow**_

I was lying on my bed, watching the light cast from the setting sun play off the crystal chandelier above my bed, when a knock rang out through my room.

"Emma, it's me," came Demetri's voice.

I sat up, sliding off my bed and trumping towards the door. I opened it slowly.

"Aro wants you now," he said. His cheerful smile was absent, replaced by a more serious demeanor. I stepped out of the room, glancing down the vacant hallway. I glanced towards Demetri.

"Where's…."

"Don't worry, Alec's already in the throne room. Besides, you don't have to worry. He will not harm you, I can assure you of that," Demetri said.

"Are you trying to tell me Alec won't attempt to harm me at all?" I laughed dryly, "That's likely. He's already tried to kill me once today."

"Alec wouldn't dare attempt to cross a direct order from Aro. Alec can be ruthless, but he's not stupid," Demetri remarked as we reached the final hallway before the throne room.

"And Jane?" I asked, "Is Aro keeping her from killing me as well."

Demetri smirked.

"Alec was ordered not to and he has as in turn required Jane to abide the same order. Jane wouldn't dare cross Alec."

Demetri pushed open the gold doors, stepping aside and gesturing me forward. Alec was standing in front of me, staring forward towards Aro with his back to me. I came to a stop several meters behind him.

"Good Evening Emma," Aro said slowly, beaming broadly at me, "Perhaps you would like me to elaborate on your current situation?"

I nodded.

"Excellent. Before I begin explaining your newest mission, allow me to inform you about the Cullen family."

He gestured me forward to stand beside Alec; I did so reluctantly. Though Alec appeared considerably calmer, from the corner of my eye I could tell his eyes were still black. I stood as far from him as I could without blatantly displaying my actions.

"There are nine Cullens," Aro began in a serious voice, "Their leader is Carlisle Cullen, a brief and former member of the Voluri, as well as a dear friend of mine. With the exception of Bella, his adoptive son's wife, and Renesmee, his adoptive granddaughter, all of the Cullens were turned by Carlisle. Like most of the members of his coven, Carlisle possesses the gift of persuasion, though not particularly strong, in addition to an unnaturally strong ability to resist human blood. His wife and mate Esme Cullen possesses no powers to my knowledge. The pair serves as the adoptive parents of Edward, Jasper, Alice, Emmett, and Rosalie. Rosalie, like her adoptive mother, lacks any special powers, though her mate Emmett is stronger than the average vampire—in many ways like Felix.

Her adoptive sister Alice possesses a most unique ability, so unique she has, on several occasions, been offered a position amongst our ranks. Alice Cullen can see the future, whether that future is what you will do today or how you will die. Her mate Jasper possesses a gift as well. He can control and regulate the emotions of the people around him. Though I have not met him personally, I have gained from Alice's mind that he is a skilled fighter, having participated in the Mexican vampire wars. Illegal, yes, but he is talented nonetheless.

The most important members of the coven are Edward Cullen, Carlisle's adoptive son, Edward's wife, Bella, and their child, Renesmee. Edward Cullen has the ability to read your thoughts. While he cannot read your past thoughts, he can read your present thoughts in the very moment you think them. He too, has been offered a position among us, though regretfully he has declined. His wife Bella can shield her mind, while being able to project this mental shield over the minds of those around her. Even as a human, her mind was impenetrable, by Jane, Alec or myself. Renesmee, the ninth of the Olympic coven, is a vampire hybrid, like yourself. Conceived while Edward's wife Bella was still human—a most curious union I might add—she can project her thoughts into your mind. However, unlike you my dear Emma, she cannot change her form between that of a vampire and a human.

As I am sure you've heard by now, the Cullens do not live off of human blood; instead they prefer the blood of animals. They proclaim this unique diet allows them to live amongst humans without detection, a peculiar lifestyle that they have chosen to maintain. The most recent information I have attained from the Cullens concerns their pact with the Quileute Tribe, a Native American tribe whose ancestry bears a close resemblance to that of the werewolf, our mortal enemy. However, since they can change between man and wolf at will, they are shape shifters and are not werewolves, thus the Cullens' relation with the wolves does not break any laws. After our most recent encounter with the wolves, I have learned that Edward's daughter is betrothed to one of these werewolves, one by the name of Jacob Black."

Aro paused, chuckling.

"Curious family indeed."

The room was silent. _So Aro would send me into the middle of a clan with powers that rivaled the Volturi, and weren't particularly friends of the Volturi? _Delightful. _And all the while I would pose as a human, vulnerable and void of any protection besides Alec. _

"When will I leave?" I asked.

Aro clapped his hands together.

"Now that's the spirit! If it's not too soon, I have arranged your flight for the day after tomorrow."

_The day after tomorrow? _I watched Alec tense. I resisted the urge to groan, instead nodding my head slowly.

"Yes sir."

Alec stepped forward.

"Master, if the Cullen girl predicted our arrival before, what will stop her from predicting it again?"

Several heads turned towards Aro, whose smile simply widened.

"I was wondering when you would ask, my clever boy. As many of you well remember, the Alice Cullen has the unique ability to detect the future. However, at this very spot, forty-eight years ago, Ms. Cullen provided me with an incredibly important piece of information: She cannot see the future of wolves."

That's helpful.

"And how is this helpful?" Caius scoffed.

Aro laughed loudly.

"Well just after the conflict with the immortal child, we discovered this. If only we had discovered it sooner."

Aro waved his hand and Santiago stepped forward, carrying a rectangular red case bearing the Volturi crest. Aro nodded, taking the box from him. He opened it slowly.

"What is that?" Caius sneered, "This is the first I've heard of such a thing."

"Since," Aro began, "Alice Cullen cannot read into the future of her wolf friends, she most certainly cannot read into the future of an actual werewolf."

Caius stood up, frustrated.

"So now the Volturi bargains with werewolves? Are you truly pressed to sink to the level of the Cullens Aro?"

Aro shook his head, frowning.

"Why bargain when we have Demetri, hmmm?" His smile returned as he reached into the box, holding up a gold gem that resembled topaz. "Do you know what this is, brother?"

Caius' eyebrows furrowed as he spat out a low 'no.'

"Does anyone?" Aro asked.

I glanced around at the vampires around me, but not a single one dared to answer. I thought about answering but I quickly stopped myself. No wonder no one would answer. How pleased would Caius be if you answered what he could not? The room was silent until Aro spoke again.

"It's evarian or orimite, as some call it. It's found the northern Himalayan and southern Altai mountains in central Asia. More importantly, this stone is a crucial to the existence of our enemy, the werewolf. Our dear brother Demetri has bravely tested the power of this gem. Would you care to reveal your finding Demetri?"

I turned around. Demetri stepped forward, smirking at me, before he came to a stop at the center of the room.

"The Cullens could not sense my presence, even Edward or Alice, with their advanced powers. I was able to stand in a tree above their home, watching them in silence, without a single glance in my direction, simply by carrying the stone on my person."

A growing murmur expanded through the room. Even Marcus and Caius sat up in surprise. Only Alec and I remained motionless.

"For this reason," Aro said, causing silence to once again envelop the room, "I had these made for you two."

Aro snapped his fingers and another vampire stepped forward, bowing low and offering him two boxes. Aro took the boxes, gliding over to Alec and I.

"I do hope you like them," he said, beaming proudly as he handed a box to each of us.

It was a small scarlet box that fit easily into the palm of my hand. I snapped open the gold clasp, opening the box. In the small cushion of scarlet velvet lay a small golden sun pendant. At the center was an ornately cut piece of evarian. I pulled the necklace out of the box, dangling it in from of my eyes. I glanced towards Alec. He was dangling his pendant—a Volturi V—in front of him as well, regarding it as though Aro had just presented him with a dog collar. As he dangled the pendant, his eyes caught mine. He turned his head to me, giving me a dark glare. I turned away quickly, pretending to be interested in the clasp of my necklace.

"A lovely departing gift, no?" Aro said.

I nodded quickly, while Alec showed no sign of gratitude.

"Well now that everything is settled," Aro said, clapping his hands together yet again and returning to his throne, "You may all depart. A good evening to you all."

Murmuring recommenced as the room began to empty. Heidi waved at me from across the room, gesturing me to walk closer. I shook my head, pointing towards the exit. Heidi shrugged, turning to Demetri. I walked in silence to my room, shutting my door behind me. I walked to the balcony, resting my arms on the stone railing. So this was my last day in Volterra… Although much of my time in Volterra had consisted of lazing around my room, being thoroughly bored beyond belief, the city had grown on me. I knew it was going to me hard to leave, though I knew my departure would entail freedom. I sighed, opening up the scarlet jewelry box again.

I had always wondered what it would have been like to grow up like a human. However, this was not at all what I had in mind.

My life was about to become very interesting.

* * *

**So what did you think??? R&R! I'll have the next chapter up asapwmlamtwasbap (as soon as possible when my life allows me to write and stops being a pain) hahaha**

**Well cause I love you all and its a New Year, how about a sneak preview, eh?????:**

_an except from _**_An Ocean Away_**_ , chapter 9 (I'm pretty sure) of Amongst Their Ranks--Case Haley_

"Economy?" I asked staring out over the cramped rows of seats. "We take a five hour ride to the airport in a limousine stocked with thousand-dollar-a-bottle champagne to spend a twelve hour flight in Economy seating?"

"What, not what you're used to princess?" Alec mocked, shoving his bag into the overhead compartment.

"Is this a joke?" I asked, turning towards him in the crowded isle.

"Joke are funny, aren't they?" He retorted, settling into the aisle seat and extending his legs.

"Well, if I'm going to be stuck on this plane for the next twelve hours, get up then. The ticket says the aisle seat is mine."

Alec lowered his sunglasses discreetly, eyeing me with his scarlet gaze.

"I'm at least 20 centimeters taller than you," he scoffed, raising his glasses, "You may be cramped in the window seat if you prefer." Alec reclined pretending to sleep.

"Alec," I hissed. He remained still.

"Unbelievable," I muttered as I kicked his foot and walked to the row behind him. A bald timid looking man sat alone.

"May I sit here sir?" I asked. He nodded shakily, before shrinking further into his seat. I sat down, examining the magazine in the pocket of seat in front of me. Alec and I said nothing more to each other until the plane had taken off for Seattle.

* * *

**Hey you! Yeah You! R&R! haha. Well I hope you liked it. Until next time.**

**I'm the writer. You're the reader. Readers Read On! -Case Haley  
**


	9. Welcome Home

**Yup Yup so three day weekend and I'm satisfying writing withdrawal (literally, all 13 pages of this was written this Saturday) Sooooooo**** what led up to that wonderful preview, you may ask. Well hey let's find out:**

**I'm the writer. You're the reader. Readers Read On!**

**-Case Haley**

_Welcome Home_

The warm sunlight pouring in through my window reflected off the evarian in my pendant, as if to mock my current predicament. I glanced up into the mirror, observing the room behind me for the last time. _So this was it…_ Felix had just retrieved my suitcase, taking it downstairs where the limo was waiting. I had spent my evening tossing the clothes in the bottom of my armoire haphazardly into the bottom of the Louis Vuitton duffel bag Heidi had procured for my departure. With a great deal of frustration, I had found the duffel bag was not the only present Heidi had seen fit to give me. Half my clothes were missing replaced with bright summery tops bearing shiny designer tags. I was convinced if I had not been wearing my boots at the time Heidi would have stolen them as well. As a result, I was wearing jeans and a blue polo I found far too tight for my taste. I huffed, standing up and gliding to my window. _This wasn't the time to care about clothes. _

"Are you ready Ems?" A deep voice asked behind me. I turned sharply at the intrusion, only to relax as I recognized Felix. _Big lovable Felix. _I ran over to him, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"I'm going to miss you so much," I said, listening to the deep chuckle echo in his chest.

"I'm sure there are people to fight in Forks, should you ever feel the need," he laughed, pulling me into a tight hug.

"I mean it though," I laughed, letting go of Felix.

Felix smiled, adjusting my duffel bag on his shoulder and slinging his big arm over mine.

"If you continue Ems, I swear I will be forced to challenge you to one last match. Besides, the limo is waiting downstairs."

I nodded reluctantly, glancing at the room around me.

"Let's go," I muttered, shutting my door a final time behind me.

We walked silently through the halls. Just over a month ago, I had first laid eyes on these very halls; and yet, today I felt as if I had known them an eternity. Felix took the scenic path to the entranceway, giving me time to savor the last minutes I would have in Volterra. At last, we arrived in the receptionist's office. Maria was busy organizing scattered papers into neat stacks at her desk. She glanced up at us upon our arrival, smiling at Felix while shooting me a dark glare. _Why? _I could think of several reasons, but frankly I did not care enough to think any harder on it. Felix however caught her glance and returned her glare, causing Maria to look down sharply. I laughed glancing up at Felix.

"Thank you," I said.

Felix simply smiled, turning the corner and entering the entrance hall. I immediately saw Demetri and Heidi, standing there expectantly. My surprise and excitement to see the two one last time was immediately deflated as my eyes rested on the other two occupants of the room. Alec was leaning against the stone wall beside the door, looking as if he would kill the next person who dared to glance his way. He wore dark jeans and a high-collared leather jacket that looked far too expensive for a boy his age. In the place of contacts, he wore a pair of black Tom Ford aviators, making him look every bit like a teenage movie star. He glanced at me briefly as I entered, shooting me a spiteful glare over the top of his glasses. As he did so, I noticed with the smallest bit of relief his eyes were red again. _Hopefully he'd calmed down bit. _Jane was at his side, speaking to him in a quiet rapid Italian I could not pick up. Heidi rushed towards me, pulling me into a tight perfumed hug.

"Oh Emy dear, I'm going to miss you so much. What will I do without you?" Heidi crooned, causing Jane to laugh sharply and mutter something to Alec. "Who will I go shopping with?" Heidi continued woefully.

I shrugged, giving her a small smile. Demetri walked up, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"As much as either of us will try to deny it, we must go if you are to make your plane," he said quietly, patting my shoulder.

Heidi frowned and Felix hung his head, handing my duffel bag to Demetri, who tossed it over his shoulder with an ease that appeared unnatural for someone his size. As I gave my final hugs to Felix and Heidi, I watched Jane kiss Alec softly on the cheek, before turning towards me. She made no move towards me, instead shooting me a dark glare that made me flinch in fear that it would cause pain to consume again. I smiled once more at Felix and Heidi before making my way towards Demetri and the door. As I twisted the heavy metal doorknob, I felt a sharp pain in the back of my head—as if I'd been hit by a rock. I turned back sharply, my hand flying to the back of my head. Jane smiled sweetly at me before turning and disappearing down the hall. I stepped out the door and into the bright sunlight. I immediately noticed this particular entrance was far different than any of the others. Instead of leading immediately onto the cobblestone streets, it opened into a large yet simple courtyard with a circular driveway leading to a gate in the walls surrounding the courtyard. A black limousine rested in front of me, the sun casting off its polished hood like a diamond. Demetri stepped out into the sun behind me. I glanced at him warily.

"Aren't you worried the driver will see you?" I asked, watching the sunlight dance off his skin.

"The driver?" Demetri asked, opening the trunk and tossing my bag inside, "I don't believe he can see or feel anything right now."

It took me a second to realize what he meant. _Ah. Alec…_Demetri was at my side in an instant, opening the door.

"After you," Demetri said.

I climbed into the limo and was immediately amazed. Rows of gold-lighted panels ran the length of the cab. The tan leather seats trimmed in the same gold lighting as the walls and ceiling, circled around every wall, pausing once to allow for an elaborate mini bar. Alec sat at the front of the cab, closest to the driver, his sunglasses lowered over his eyes despite the dim lighting of the limo. I sat in the seat at the back of the cab, as far as I could be from him. Demetri climbed in after me, settling in the chair to my right.

"Alec," Demetri said.

I watched as the hazy mist at Alec's feet vanished. The engine spurred to life almost immediately and with a small jolt, the car began rolling down the drive. Through the dark tinted windows of the cab, I watched the high stone walls of the Volterra Castle fade into the distance.

* * *

We had been in the limousine for a good three hours now. I glanced up from the window for the first time at Demetri. He was reclined along several seats reading a thick red leather bound book.

"What are you reading?" I asked, nudging him on the shoulder.

He looked up at me, smirking as he placed his book on the floor beside him.

"I'm not entirely sure, but it's some type of compilation of Shakespeare's works. I found it on the shelf in my room this morning hoping it would occupy the ride to Rome."

I glanced towards Alec. He was reclined across the front of the cab, his head resting against the window. His glasses were propped on his head and his eyes were closed. I glanced at the bar across from me, picking up one of the silver wine bottles. _Chateau Lafite 1787 _was scrawled across the black label in thick white letters. _Impressive. _The bottle was nearly a hundred years older than me.

"Can vampires even drink?" I asked Demetri, holding up the bottle.

Demetri smirked, taking the bottle from me.

"They can, though its not quite the same as it is for a human. It does not quench your thirst nor render you inebriated," he paused, handing the bottle back to me, "Aro bought that one just for show. It was sold at a auction several years ago for 160 grand."

I blinked at him.

"A hundred and sixty thousand dollars? You could buy a Lamborghini for less!" I sputtered, taking the bottle back.

Demetri laughed. "I guess you could with that type of money; but when has Aro been the one to be frugal?"

I shrugged, thinking back to his elaborate ball.

"I guess it doesn't matter when you have enough money to buy the world."

Demetri smirked picking his book up again. I returned the bottle back to the shelf and settled back into my seat.

"How much longer until we arrive there?" I asked.

"About an hour or two more," Demetri replied, his eyes still focused on his book.

I sighed, turning to my window. The beautiful winding roads of the Italian countryside had morphed into the paved roads of the highway. I closed my eyes and remained silent for the rest of the ride.

* * *

At last the black limousine came to a rattling stop. I opened my eyes slowly, taking in the bustling terminal before which we were stopped. I heard the driver clamber out of his seat from behind the thin wall that separated the cab from the driver. Through the tinted windows I watched him stumble quickly to open the door.

"Are you going to be alright Em?" Demetri asked, sitting upright, "I'm afraid I do not have contacts. I must say goodbye from here."

I nodded, glancing towards Alec. He was grimacing out the tinted window, his sunglasses covering his eyes again.

"I'll be fine Demetri."

The driver opened the door. Without a word or glance, Alec slipped out of the car so quickly the driver glanced at him again.

"Be careful now Emma," Demetri said, leaning forward as he pulled me into a hug.

"I can handle Alec, Demetri. That's nothing you need to worry about."

Demetri laughed.

"I'm sure you can," he muttered, "But I hear high school's pretty rough."

I rolled my eyes as he laughed again.

"You better hurry now before you miss your flight," he urged, letting me go.

I nodded, smiling at him. I tried to ignore the sadness building in my chest as I slipped out of the car. Alec, having already pulled his luggage out of the trunk, was leaning against the car impatiently.

"I know you can't help but move at an impossibly human pace, but if you can't move any faster, we'll miss our flight and become stranded in the terminal," he turned, snatching the handle of his suitcase, "and God knows what I'll do then."

Without another word, he proceeded into the airport. I slung my duffle bag over my shoulder and followed him, watching the shiny limo speed out of sight. We checked in and got our tickets without any trouble. I glanced over Alec's shoulder at the tickets in his hand.

"How do we get to Gate E?" I asked.

"We go to the gate labeled E. Isn't that generally how it works?" He retorted, shoving the tickets into the pocket of his jeans. I rolled my eyes. _And I get to spend the next year of my life with him…delightful. _Alec sped through the airport, I nearly struggled to keep up; it didn't help that the farther we moved into the airport, the more human I became. Alec's rapid pace finally halted as we arrived at Gate E.

"Here," he said thrusting the handle of his suitcase towards me, "Stay here, while I get our tickets checked."

I laughed, skirting around his luggage. "That's quite alright."

Alec scowled as he grabbed his suitcase. The pretty woman at the desk was young, perhaps 21 or 22. She looked up at us, blushing as her dark brown eyes rested on Alec.

"May I help you sir?" She asked in Italian, beaming broadly. I resisted the urge to gag.

"Our tickets," Alec drawled, flashing a handsome smile at her. I rolled my eyes. She paid no attention to me as she scanned hi ticket first, glancing up at him all the while. She finished his ticket, and started on mine. The second her eyes scanned my ticket, her smile faded. She looked up glaring at me.

"You're flying with him?" She asked, her eyes cold. Her voice was far too emotional to make the question sound impersonal.

"My cousin," Alec said quickly, flashing his smile again.

"Oh," she muttered, her flirtatious smile returning.

"Well, have a good flight sir," she said handing his ticket back slowly. I saw her number scrawled along the lower edge. It took all my concentration to keep from gagging this time. With a final smile, Alec turned away from the desk.

"Let's go. The flight's boarding now," he muttered, his previous charm long gone.

"Are you sure you don't want to invite her to dinner first?" I asked, pulling my suitcase into the line to board the plane.

"Go," he ordered. I did as he said, but in no way did I miss the smug smile he shot me.

* * *

"Economy?" I asked staring out over the cramped rows of seats. "We take a five hour ride to the airport in a limousine stocked with a bottle of champagne worth thousands of dollars to spend a twelve hour flight in Economy seating?"

"What, not what you're used to princess?" Alec mocked, shoving his bag into the overhead compartment.

"Is this a joke?" I asked, turning towards him in the crowded isle.

"Jokes are funny, aren't they?" He retorted, settling into the aisle seat and extending his legs.

I wanted to slap him.

"Well, if I'm going to be stuck on this plane for the next twelve hours, get up then. The ticket says the aisle seat is mine," I said, holding up the ticket as proof.

Alec lowered his sunglasses discreetly, eyeing me with his scarlet gaze.

"I'm at least 20 centimeters taller than you," he scoffed, raising his glasses, "_You_ may be cramped in the window seat if you prefer." Alec reclined pretending to sleep.

"Alec," I hissed. He remained still.

"Unbelievable," I muttered as I kicked his foot as I walked to the row behind him. A bald timid looking man sat alone.

"May I sit here sir?" I asked. He nodded shakily, before shrinking further into his seat. I sat down, examining the magazine in the pocket of seat in front of me. Alec and I said nothing more to each other until the plane had taken off for Seattle.

* * *

We had been flying for a little over three hours now. The man beside had long since dozed off into n anxious sleep and I had taken the opportunity to borrow the book sitting in his lap. It was in Italian, and though I could pick up many of the words, it was still challenging to read. _Who makes seats this uncomfortable? _I sighed, sitting up to reposition myself. As I did so, Alec reclined in the seat in front of me, bringing his chair to rest heavily in my lap.

"Sit up Alec," I hissed, wedging my hands free from under the seat.

"Scuse?" He muttered quietly.

"Sit you chair up. You're crushing me."

I heard him pretend to sigh. "That's unfortunate."

I held back the growl in my throat.

"Sit up," I hissed.

"No. It's my chair and I can do what I want with it," he replied.

I managed to free my legs enough that I could kick the back of his chair.

"Sit up," I hissed again, kicking the chair I hard I could without fearing I would damage it.

Alec turned around, glaring at me over his glasses.

"If you kick my seat again half-breed…" he growled.

"You'll what? Bat your eyelashes at me?" I cried, kicking his seat again.

He stood up abruptly, walking around to my seat. His hand clamped tightly around my wrist.

"Come now," he ordered in a low voice, yanking me free from between the two seats. He marched me several rows back to the lavatory.

"In," he hissed pushing open the thin metal door. If his painfully tight grip my wrist wasn't enough to convince me to enter, he shoved me in closing the door behind him. The space was incredibly cramped—in no way was it meant for two people. As Alec turned around to face me, his I found myself pressed against his chest. I was glad I was too furious to blush.

"It's simple Alec," I spat in a low voice, "Keep your damned chair out of my lap."

His scarlet eyes flashed. He stepped forward, forcing my back against the metal wall of the lavatory.

"Don't tell me what to do half-breed."

"Fine," I said, "I'll just make a scene and have you moved."

"Please," he laughed, "If I want I can simply extend my powers over the pilot and you can enjoy swimming to America."'

"Are you suggesting you would crash the plane?" I asked incredulously.

"If you continue to annoy me, perhaps I will," he retorted.

"And could you live up to the murder of at least 300 innocent people?" I replied.

He shrugged.

"Could you? Stay the hell out of my way Emma and you don't have to worry about your little human pals," He paused, leaning his face close to mine, "Besides 300 is hardly anything."

I closed my eyes, wishing he would just unlock the door and let me return to my seat. I could feel the cold rising off of him and I shivered slightly. Alec let out a low laugh before finally opening the door. I stomped back to my seat, relieved that our conversation had not been the center of attention. The bald man in the seat next to me—Fabio Caracci as the printed label in his book indicated---was still asleep. I gently returned his book to his lap. Alec sauntered back to his chair several minutes later. He smirked arrogantly at me before settling back into his chair. I closed my eyes, thankful that for the first time since the plane took off, I felt tired. It wasn't long before I had drifted off to sleep.

* * *

"We are now approaching Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in Seattle, Washington. We ask that you return your seats and tray tables to their upright positions. All portable electronics should be turned off. We will arrive in the terminal in about ten minutes. Thank you for flying with us."

I opened my eyes slowly. The small round window of the airplane was obscured by the dense white cloud as we descended into Seattle. I stretched, reaching my arms over my head. Mr. Caracci had woken up since I had last seen him. He was crouched into the corner of the chair, his face buried defensively behind his book. I watched the window until the clouds began to fade, giving way to the cloudy gray world of Seattle. I sighed. _Welcome to Washington. _At last the plane touched down, bouncing roughly on the runway as it slowly rumbled into the terminal. The flight attendant made another announcement and at last we were free to leave the plane. I stood up slowly, stretching again. Alec was already standing, his bag across his shoulder.

"You are wasting my patience. Again. Let's go," he uttered.

I followed him silently out of the plane. Through the crowded mass of rushing humans I managed to find the baggage claim. I gathered my bag and headed to the exit, where Alec was standing by a Lincoln Town Car. I clambered into the car after him, placing my duffel bag on the floor.

"Where are we headed?" I asked, wishing Aro had informed with more information than: You will be landing in Seattle, Washington.

He ignored me and continued to stare out the window, the gray sky reflecting off his glasses.

"Is everyone here?" The driver asked in a cheerful tone. He was met with silence.

"Alright then let's go, eh?" He started the engine and began to drive away. As we pulled up to a stop sign, he turned around to face Alec.

"You know kid, one-way to Greenwich Avenue is going to run about 70 dollars?"

Alec lowered his sunglasses and I noticed for the first time that he was now wearing brown contacts.

"Not all of us are incompetent enough to ignore the overly priced tag your placed on your driving services," he retorted coldly.

I watched the driver blush deeply in the mirror. He did not attempt to speak to us until we turned onto the interstate.

"So, uh, where are you all from, eh?"

I glanced towards Alec. He was still frowning out the window.

"I'm from Italy," I finally said.

"Ah, Italy, nice place. I got a cousin who went there for vacation, you know?" He shook his head, as if remembering a fond memory, "And your boyfriend too?"

Alec laughed. "Are you kidding me?"

I shook my head. "No, we're siblings."

The driver shook his head.

"Alright. So are you all here on vacation or something?"

"Business," Alec replied shortly.

"Business?" The man repeated, laughing, "How old are you sixteen or something like that?"

"Nineteen," Alec retorted, "As for our business, our parents were shot dead in an armed robbery. We're returning home for the funeral."

_My word Alec! A simple: 'we're headed back to school' would have sufficed. _I blinked at him. The faint traces of a smirk were growing on his face.

Needless to say, the driver said no more after that.

* * *

We finally arrived at the intersection of a busy road on the outskirts of Seattle.

"Here's your stop," the driver mumbled quietly.

Alec sauntered out of his seat, passing the driver a hundred dollar bill. I followed him, not saying a word to the driver. I watched the town car fade into the bustling traffic.

"That was unnecessary," I hissed.

Alec shrugged, looking at his watch.

"Follow me, we have an hour left."

He turned and began walking the other direction. After the incident in the cab, I was too annoyed to even ask him where we were going. Luckily, it wasn't long before Alec came to a stop. I glanced up at the silver sign.

"A car dealership? You plan to buy a Audi?" I thought back to the cab driver, "I'm sure they'll believe you."

Alec smirked, reaching into his pocket and waving a black credit card under my nose.

"Money talks," he said, opening the door.

As I expected, the sales associates glanced up at us confused. Finally, a tall man strode towards us. He wore an impressive black suit and tie and his fair hair was combed back. He gave each of us a large fake smile.

"How may I help you two?" He gleaned.

_I could only anticipate Alec's reaction. _

"I'm looking for a car," Alec said.

The salesman raised his eyes brows. I heard a saleswoman behind him snicker.

"And you want an Audi?" He asked.

"This is an Audi dealership," Alec replied, his voice bored.

"Well now, what type of Audi were you looking for?" The man asked. I was just waiting for the salesman to pat Alec on the head.

"The Audi R8," Alec said calmly.

"The R8?" The man said in a mock questioning tone, "Why that's the most expensive car here! They don't even make them anymore."

I glanced at Alec, expecting him to lunge at the salesman. Instead, he glanced up at the man innocently.

"So I've heard. Is it too late to buy it before the dealership closes today?" Alec asked expectantly.

The two saleswomen behind the man burst into laughter and rushed out of the room. The other man began coughing to hide his laughter. Alec simply tilted his head.

"Is there something wrong?"

The salesman looked away, biting his lip to keep his face serious. He sighed, finally turning back to us. I glanced towards Alec. He was still completely composed.

"Well young man, you see I got a _very _important phone call today—from the CEO of Audi himself. An important friend of is interested in buying this car, you see, so the CEO has asked us to hold it for him until then," he said.

"It's true too," said the saleswoman, reentering the room, "I talked to him this very morning. He said his friend would send some one by this week for the car."

The salesman nodded.

"Yep, an Italian man name Al…"

"Alec DiGemellare?" Alec asked. I watched the salesman's eyebrows rise in surprise.

"I'm Alec DiGemellare," he continued. I watched the faces of the sales associates drain. The man in front of us swallowed.

"You're…" he sputtered out slowly.

"Would you care for proof?" Alec asked, offering the man his red passport.

The man continued to sputter, shaking his head.

"One moment please," he said quickly, rushing back towards his fellow associates. He whispered frantically at the other man, pointing him down the hallway.

"Richard is fetching the keys," he said nervously, "Would you be needing anything else Mr. DiaGell…"

"DiGemellare," Alec said, handing his shiny black credit card to the man's shaky hand.

* * *

The car roared to life as we sped out of the dealership. As much as I wanted to ask, I refrained from asking Alec if I could drive.

"Where are we headed now?" I asked hesitantly.

Alec was silent, his eyes lazily watching the road as we raced along the road, the speedometer of the Audi wavering at 100 mph.

"You know," I said turning on the radio, "Believe or not, I do not want to be here as much as you do. I know Volterra's been your home for the last 600 years, but for the last month it's been mine too."

Alec changed the station, remaining silent. I huffed, reclining back in my chair.

"You were always so keen to say some snide comment to me at Volterra, why won't you speak up now?" I asked, more to myself than to him. I reached forward, changing the station. Alec immediately changed it back.

"This 'mission' or whatever you want to call it was hell enough to begin with when Aro announced it. You are not going to make things any better if you continue to be an arrogant ass about everything," I huffed, reaching forward to change the dial again. Alec's hand caught my wrist.

"Do not change the dial again," he hissed.

His grip tightened once before he let go of my wrist.

"Why won't it go through to your half-breed mind that I don't talk because to you because I cannot stand you. You annoy the hell out of me, you are constantly wasting my time and space, and, if you haven't noticed, I despise humans and all their entireties, which I believe, includes you. So no Emma, I don't want to talk to you right now."

I took a deep breath and reclined back into my chair, rubbing my wrist. _Well you aren't the greatest either. _

The car flew down the road, away from Seattle; Suburbia after suburbia was soon replaced by dense forests. At last the Audi finally slowed, turning onto an unpaved winding road. After a minute or so, the car pulled to a stop in front of a large unlit building. Alec was out of the car before I could turn to him. I opened my door slowly, looking up at the building. It was large red Victorian-style house—too elegant for the thick rough woods that surrounded it. An ornately carved wooden porch wound its way around the front, while the tall close peaks of the roof stretched upwards towards the stars. It was smaller than I had expected, though the delicate design seemed to suit the luxurious taste of the Volturi.

_Welcome Home. _

* * *

_**SO hey ya! What'd you think??? I'm finally getting into the main plot yay! (*eyes Carlaina in particular* )So what else hmmm:**_

_**1.) I'll update asap! **_

_**2.) **__**90% of this was written while I was 50,000 feet in the air in an airplane**_

_** 3.) The title reminds me of Coheed and Cambria (good song btw) **_

_**4.) I need to stop listing random things**_

_**5.) Ah... I remember R&R!!!!!!!!!!!!--what shall our two favorite people do next? Lemme know!  
**_

_**---i really need to stop---hours at the computer does stuff to your brain....**_

_**-Case Haley  
**_


	10. August 21

**Please. I beg of you. Don't hurt me. I have had soooooooooo much work its not even funny. So don't laugh. Yeah you too. I mean it. Anyways, so I got this latest chapter up soo, read on!**

**I'm the writer. You're the reader. Readers Read On!!! ~Case Haley  
**

_August 21_

I sat up sharply as my alarm blared its way into existence. I scooted to the other side of the bed, slamming my hand down heavily on the illuminated silver button. Silence. I climbed out of the bed, placing my feet on the cool wooden floor and taking in the room around me. My room was designed in the same Victorian style as the rest of the house—two bay windows, a canopy bed, and a carved white wooden dresser along the wall. I stood up slowly, stretching my hands over my head as I walked across the dark room to the calendar situated on my dresser. _August 21. _I had officially been in Forks for a month now, though it seemed nothing had changed since I first arrived. Though I could not ignore the overwhelming beauty of the house, it still felt strange. The large bay windows never seemed large enough to capture any sunlight and the dark colored walls made the large house feel increasingly cramped. I flicked on the light and made my way to my closet. _At least I was alone. _Alec had disappeared the morning after we arrived and I hadn't heard from him since. Not that that was a bad thing; in fact, I found his absence to be quite relaxing, though I found the silence of the house to be quite eerie. With so much free time alone, the majority of my days had been spent adjusting myself to a more human lifestyle. While I chose not to leave the house, I had managed to become increasingly human by maintaining a strictly human diet. Not the most desirable way to go about it, but it was necessary. _Just because I could survive off it did not make it any less bland. _I huffed, picking out a navy blue sundress and tossing it onto my bed. I was beginning to warm up to Heidi's wardrobe, even though it had replaced mine. I glanced towards my boots, placed neatly against the wall. I smiled fondly, thinking of my friends in Volterra. If I had been told when I had been dragged across Europe to Italy that I would one day miss Volterra, I would have laughed. I sighed, feeling a lump building in my throat. With a final glance towards the dress on my bed, I turned and left my room.

I padded down the carpeted hall to the Victorian staircase that led to the main floor, passing numerous oils paintings that adorned the wall. I trailed my hand down the wooden banister pausing to admire the flowered Van Gogh mounted on the wall half way down the staircase. I reached the wooden landing of the foyer and headed immediately towards the kitchen. Despite my hunger, I took the longest root to the kitchen, passing through my favorite room of the house besides my own: the vintage style parlor—complete with its own grand piano. At last I wandered into the dark kitchen. I tiptoed across through the dark room towards the pantry. Of all the human foods available in the house, I had found cheerios and coffee to be by far the most tolerable. I reached for the yellow box on the top shelf, before finding a bowl. From the small circular window above the sink, I could see rays of pink and gold sunlight peeking through the trees. _At least it would be sunny today. _I poured myself a bowl of cheerios and proceeded towards the coffee maker. I flicked the button on and turned towards the table. I jumped, spilling half my cheerios, as I realized I was not alone.

Alec was seated at the table across from where I stood, his eyebrows raised in bored surprise.

"What are you doing here?" I all but shouted, my heart still racing from his surprise. _How long had he been here? _

"Nice outfit," he retorted.

I felt an involuntary heat rush to my cheeks as I glanced down at my attire. I was wearing a pair of striped boy shorts with a blue tank top that I increasingly realized, was particularly sheer. It was perfectly fine for sleeping in at home. _Alone. _However, my embarrassment quickly faded into anger.

"What the hell are you doing here Alec?" I hissed, leaving the room in search of a broom. I found it almost immediately and returned to the kitchen, using the opportunity to duck below the table as I cleaned.

"You have an appointment," He said shortly.

I exhaled deeply.

"You've been gone for the last month and you choose today to show up because I have 'an appointment,'" I huffed. I propped the broom against the wall and began pouring myself another bowl of cereal. I turned back to the table.

"An explanation would be nice," I spat, pulling back a chair and plopping into the seat across from him.

"The high school has summoned you. They want to meet with you," he said, tossing and catching the keys to the Audi.

"I'm sure that'll be fun," I mumbled through a mouthful of cereal.

"Well luckily for you that fun begins at 8 o'clock this morning," he said, catching his keys a final time. He pushed his chair back from the table, standing up sharply. "I'll be in the car."

Without a second word he was gone. I turned around to look at the iridescent glow of the clock above the oven. _7:05. _I laughed dryly. _He would do something like that. _The drive to the school took thirty minutes, which meant I had less than fifteen minutes to get completely dressed and ready to go. I stood up quickly, placing my bowl in the sink, before rushing towards the stairs.

* * *

_7:20 _read the orange clock radio inside the Audi.

In exactly fifteen minutes I had managed to completely and successfully make myself presentable. I glanced at Alec as we pulled out of the driveway. He looked exactly as he had the last time I saw him, except perhaps, his eyes were a brighter shade of red. Though he didn't look as annoyed as the last time I saw him, his demeanor still echoed his contempt.

The car was completely silent as we sped down the small wooded road to Forks. I looked towards the radio, hoping to use it to break the thick silence that had enveloped the car, but I thought against it, remembering the last time I had attempted to adjust the radio.

"Where were you?" I asked slowly, glancing away from him to watch the sunrise.

"Does it matter?" He replied slowly.

I shrugged and there was silence again.

"Canada," he finally replied slowly.

I turned towards him slowly.

"What's in Canada?" I asked.

"Others," he replied shortly.

"Others? Other vampires?" I asked.

"No, caribou," he shot sarcastically.

I huffed.

"What did you do?" I asked finally.

"I was testing the evarian Aro gave me," he said, his voice void of emotion.

_I'd never thought to do that. _I guess it would be better to double check before I placed myself amongst enemy vampires.

"It wasn't for your benefit," he added, "I don't give a damn if you succeed or not."

I rolled my eyes as the car continued on. _At least there was an actual conversation before Alec shot it down. _I sighed. _Welcome back Alec. _

* * *

The engine faded to stop as Alec pulled into a parking spot outside the large brick building. I push open my door and stepped out into the parking lot. The sun was considerably brighter now and I reached for the sunglasses atop my head. I glanced cautiously towards Alec. He was wearing his dark sunglasses and a green hoodie that covered his face from the sun. It had seemed like miles to the entrance way as we left the parking lot but I soon found myself standing in the middle of the gray-locker lined hallway of the school. Alec removed his hoodie and placed his sunglasses on his head. Under the fluorescent lights, Alec looked particularly pale. The dark circles under his eyes—an odd red-brown because of his contacts—seemed to stand out even more. I followed him down the vacant hallway. _Did Alec have the right day?_ There was no sign of anyone in the school.I was preparing to ask Alec when a loud voice startled me.

"Hi! Y'all must be here for the meet and greet this mornin'!"

I turned around slowly to a very short and energetic girl around my human age. Her blonde wavy hair was pulled into a high ponytail over her head with a pink ribbon. She was dressed in pink from head to toe: pink tank top, pink jacket, pink skirt, and pink shoes. Even the eyes shadow above her wide brown eyes was pink. With her bright outfit and strong accent, I had no doubt she had been raised far from Forks.

"I'm Missy Tadum," she said, offering me a tan, manicured hand, "I'm on the welcomin' committee. I was new here last year so I'll know about what you're goin' through."

I shook her hand slowly.

"You must be Emma, I'm guessin'?" She said, looking at the clipboard in her hands. She paused, eyeing Alec with wide smile. "Whose your friend here?" She asked. Her brown eyes stared intently at Alec with a hidden desire that made me want to vomit.

"Connor," he replied calmly before I could answer her.

She giggled loudly.

"So how do you two know each other?" She asked, her eyebrows raised. I watched her smile fade by several molars.

"Cousins," I replied quickly.

She giggled again and I wondered I still retained the strength to snap her neck.

"Well now, let me give y'all a little information about the school," she waved her hand gesturing us to follow, "The school was built in…"

Her voice faded away, though her mouth kept moving. I heard Alec chuckle to himself beside me. It took me a moment to realize what he'd done to her. I would have said something against it, but the memory of her voice was enough to prevent me from doing so.

"So let's go then?" She asked finally, her voice returning.

I nodded and followed after her. She dragged Alec and I through the entire building, pointing out this and that. We passed through every hall, every room, and Missy had something to say about each of them. Beneath his contacts, I watched Alec's eyes grow darker and darker. By the time Missy finally stopped, his eyes were black.

"We're about done now, so we're gonna head to the cafeteria for horaderves," She said as she lead us merrily down a flight of stairs.

I winced at her pronunciation of French, but said nothing. There were several people in the cafeteria when we arrived, around twenty or so. Missy entered, beckoning us to follow. As I stepped forward, Alec caught my arm. I turned back towards him, pulling my arm from his grip.

"Yes?" I asked annoyed.

"I'm leaving," he said shortly. His black eyes glanced towards Missy, who had left us at the door to talk to a group of people across the room. "Before I snap her neck and fling her body across the room."

I glanced at him with wide eyes. He stared back, his dark eyes seeming to smirk, before he turned and disappeared down the hall. I slowly turned back to the cafeteria and headed towards Missy.

"There ya are!" She said, waving me over. Placing her hands on my shoulders she turned me to face the circle of people around her.

"Ya'll, this is Emma Durand. She's new this year."

I glanced around the circle at the different faces around me. There was five in all, two boys and three girls. The boy across from me extending his hand, sending me a handsome smile

"I'm Riley," he said taking my hand, "I was new last year like Missy."

He had bright green eyes that stood out against the tan line of freckles across his nose. His wavy brown hair faded towards blond at the ends, as if he had spent a great deal of his summer in the sun. I smiled back at him.

"I'm Emma."

The girl beside his stuck her hand out sharply.

"I'm Margaret Lyle," she said, tucking her dark hair behind her eye. Despite the wide smile she flashed me, I could tell too easily she was not a fan of me; I held back the urge to laugh. "I've always been here. I'm president of the school's French club."

_Vrai? _

"I speak French as well," I said, flashing her the same fake grin she was giving me.

"Tu parle la français?" She asked smugly.

"Oui, je le parle couramment. Ma mère était française," I replied calmly. I watch her face redden in frustration.

The other three members of the group introduced themselves. I occupied myself my attempting to translate the conversation around me into Italian to myself. As Missy droned on and on about her summer, I began to wish I had persuaded Alec to stay. Finally she stopped.

"Y'all wanna see the punch buggy I saved up for this summer?" She asked suddenly. I looked up the floor.

"Sure, why not?" Drawled Margaret.

I followed an excited Missy back through the school to the parking lot.

"There it is," she said, pointing to the vintage pink Volkswagen across from us.

She stepped out into the street as a deafening roar pierced through the air. A black motorcycle carrying two riders flew passed us, narrowly missing Missy. As it turned the corner sharply, the second rider—a redheaded girl without a helmet—let out a loud whoop. Missy huffed impatiently. I resisted the urge to laugh.

"Unbelievable! They nearly hit me," she yelled, turning back to us.

I turned to Riley, the only one in the group who wasn't showering Missy with sympathetic comments.

"Who were they?"

He laughed, smiling.

"Missy can't stand them," he said, dropping his voice, "But they're some of my best friends. That guy—the one with the helmet—was Jake Black. His family's lived here forever, out in LaPush by the beach. The redhead girl's Renesmée Cullen, but we all just call her Ness or Nessie. She was new here two years ago."

"Cullen?" I asked slowly.

He nodded.

"Yeah. Do you know her?"

I shook my head. _So this was the Cullen girl? _

"I'll have to introduce you to her," he said, shrugging slightly.

Missy's hissy fit subsided and she made her way to the Volkswagen, dragging Riley and I along.

"This is my _baby,_" she crooned loudly. As she ranted on, I occupied my mind by calculating the force it would take crush the excruciatingly pink car into the size of a Pop Tart. I finally stopped, rounding my answer to something around 230 Newtons.

"Was that your car?" Missy asked, poking me in the shoulder.

I glanced up lazily.

"The Audi?"

She nodded eagerly and Margaret Lyle shot me a jealous glare.

"It's my cousin's," I replied shortly.

She giggled.

"Isn't your cousin comin' here next year?"

I rolled my eyes.

"No."

Missy frowned dramatically while I exhaled deeply. _She was definitely going to make this year worth wild. _Her pouting stopped as her phone rang—a blaring 8-bit of Barbie Girl. She looked at the pink phone before shoving it back into her pocket.

"I have choir practice in Port Angeles in about thirty minutes," she said, opening the door to the pink Beetle. She slid inside, started the ignition. "Toodles! See y'all on Monday!"

I felt myself smiling as the car drove out of sight. _If only it would veer off the road. _The same moment Missy's car vanished, the black Audi came speeding around the corner.

"I have to go," I said, walking towards the car. I heard Margaret let out a sigh of relief.

"Bye Emma," Riley called as I opened the car door.

I waved back silently, sliding into the car. Alec eyed me slowly, his bright scarlet eyes amused.

* * *

I stood up, walking over to the bay window across from my bed. _So this was the Cullen girl? _Though I had known I was not the only hybrid in this world, it was surreal to witness it first hand. I had only seen her for a few briefs seconds, but it was enough. She was far paler than a human, and in the morning light I could see this iridescent glow it gave off. Her hair and eyes were extremely human and I doubted they changed colors at all.

My eyes wandered towards the shimmering pool in the back yard. I smiled to myself. I couldn't recall swimming, at least since I had lived in England. _It was still warm and sunny outside. _I returned to my bed, yanking my duffel bag from underneath it. I dug through it, flinging Heidi's carefully folded clothes across my bed. _It wasn't like her to forget…ahh. _I pulled the bathing suit out of my bag, frowning almost immediately. _Really. _The navy blue fabric seemed barely big enough to cover anything successfully. I glanced towards the pool again. It shimmered brightly, as if to mock me. _So be it…_

I changed quickly and headed downstairs, pausing to grab a towel from the linen closet. As I passed to the kitchen to the patio that led to the pool, I glanced outside towards the driveway. Though the Audi was present, I had not seen Alec in over two hours. I opened the screen door to the patio, grabbing a wooden chair to place by the pool. I sat my towel down, placing the sunglasses on my head beside it. With a running start, I jumped into the pool feeling the cold-water swirl around me. I exhaled a trail of bubbles as I kicked my way to the surface. I inhaled again, letting myself float onto my back. I closed my eyes, rocked by the soft waves rippling across the surface.

"Having fun?"

My serenity was broken as I flipped to face Alec. He smirked smugly.

"When will you learn it's not nice to sneak up behind people without warning?" I snapped, pushing my long hair back and out of my face.

"Sneak up without warning?" he laughed shortly, "It's not my fault you're oblivious."

I splashed water in his direction, but he quickly moved to the side.

"Now that's very mature," he mocked.

"I don't care. Go away," I said, splashing water towards him.

"No. It's my house," he said arrogantly, "I can do what I want."

"Well," I said, splashing him yet again, "Go enjoy your house elsewhere."

He shook his head.

"Maybe I don't want to. Perhaps I've gotten bored sitting on the roof and I've decided I want to swim."

"Well I'm swimming Alec," I shot back.

"I don't care," he said walking towards my chair.

Without warning he pulled his back shirt over his head, tossing over the back of the chair. He was far more built than I would have expected of someone his size. For someone eternally stuck as a seventeen year old, he had the body of a guy in his twenties. I slipped under the water, hoping he hadn't noticed my observation. _Or growing blush…_ As I came up, Alec ran towards the water, jumping over me to dive perfectly into the pool. I waited for him to come up, but he never did. I dove under the water, looking around until I found him. He was lying on the bottom of the pool, his eyes open and his hands behind his head—as if he were relaxing on his bed. Exhaling, I sank down to sit on the bottom of the pool across from him. He turned towards me slowly, his eyebrows raised. He sat up slowly, pointing towards the sky, before pushing up from the bottom of the pool. I followed him, pushing up through the surface of the water.

"Can't you breath?" He asked.

"Does it matter? Besides there are more important questions, like why are you wearing jeans in the pool?" I paused and he stared back at me. I laughed, shrugging. "After a while, I don't need to."

He was silent, as if he were contemplating deeply.

"Well, since you don't have to breathe," he started, an evil smirk growing on his face.

Before I could duck below the water, Alec sent a wave of water my way. It surged, smacking into my face. I dodged the next wave, sending a new one his way. Back and forth. Back and forth. By the time the water fight ended, the sun was already setting.

I climbed out of the pool, walking towards the wooden chair. I grabbed my towel, burying my face into it.

"Are you done with my shirt?" Alec asked from behind me. I stopped immediately, looking down to recognize the shirt I had mistaken for a towel. I dropped it quickly, snatching up my real towel. Alec laughed, placing his t-shirt across his shoulders. He walked towards the patio, pausing to turn back to me.

"Aro told me to 'ensure you have the necessities to replicate a year in the American school system' sometime this week."

I cocked my head.

"Back to School shopping?" I asked.

"Aro didn't word it quite like that, but I guess it something along those lines," he paused, jumping onto the roof of the patio, "He also wants to buy you a new car."

_A new car? Hmmm… _

"Tired of being my chauffeur?" I mocked.

He let out a dry laugh, jumping once to land on the roof. I walked inside as he disappeared from sight. I walked inside, wrapping my towel around my waist. I returned to my room, careful not to completely soak the Victorian carpet. I glanced towards the calendar on my dresser. _August 21. _

_One more week until my life would completely change. _

* * *

_**So que piensas? que penses-tu? ni-hao? that last one was completely irrevelant but hey, I'm running on six hours of sleep and the last half of this was typed in the last two hours. For you non-non-English speakers, whatcha thinkin' ? REVIEW!!! Lemme know what you want, cause ideas are awesome! Well until next time (and hopefully more sleep) **_

_**~Case Haley**_

(\ (\

(^.^)

*(II)(II)

_**Amongst Their Ranks**_

_**to be continued..........  
**_


	11. A New World

**We meet again. Well there are several reasons for this latest absence, the first and foremost being los examanes exams for you nonspanish speakers, followed closely by a painfully long writers' block (if anyone reading this is also reading my Harry Potter story, I promise an updates coming!!!!) Beside these whiny excuses, we have a have a new chapter ! WOOO YEAH.... alright too much enthusiasm hahaha Anywhosits, I hope you enjoy it! As usual, it ain't mine, cept Emma and the plot! I semi-own my most recent character, who was inspired by hmmm..... we may never know hahahahaha. By the sheer chance that anyone does figure out who on earth it is, perhaps I'll add them or another element of their being to the plot hmmm who knows????**

I held the square button until the silvery touch screen lit up. _7:28, August 28. _So this was it—at 8 o'clock I would become an official student of Forks High School. I was ready, I suppose, but it was still going to take a while to get used to it. I grabbed the brown aviators on my dresser and headed for the door. I walked down the stairs, passing through the house towards the kitchen. A blue paper letter lay on the table. I picked it up slowly, admiring the remarkably neat cursive scrawled across the page in black ink.

_I'm in Seattle. Your car should arrive by Wednesday—or so they say. Until it does arrive I suggest you find someone to take you to school. Try not to do anything rash while I'm gone._

_Delightful. _Well, it wasn't a surprise that he'd reverted to his original attitude. After two peaceful days between us, without any provocation or warning Alec had reverted to his usual routine almost immediately: ignoring me as if I had ceased to exist. However, his foul mood seemed different than normal—appearing to affect him much more deeply than his temporary attitudes. _I wonder what had set him off so. _Even when he was off by himself, he seemed troubled. Despite the frustration he caused me on a daily basis, I couldn't help being concerned for him.

I replaced the letter on the table and turned my attention to more immediate and important matters. _How would I get to school? _Who knew when Alec would return? It would take too long to summon a taxi, since the nearest working taxi service was based out of Port Angeles. _I could always run to school._ I laughed. _That would be a sight. _I glanced down at my outfit—as planned by the written note placed in my duffel bag, with Heidi's signature. I was wearing a blue and white baby doll with denim shorts and leather sandals. _I could always change. _I glanced at the clock on my phone. _7:32. There was no way I could run to school and maintain a human pace anyways. _I exhaled loudly. Pacing through the kitchen, I arrived in the entrance hall. My school bag, a tan and pink messenger bag. I glanced out the diamond paned windows beside the door. Though it was cloudy, there was not a chance of rain today. _I guess I'll be walking today. _

* * *

Ten miles south of the house, I had covered a pretty good distance in the last 20 minutes. In the distance I could hear the sounds of the town ahead. _If I could make it to the town, perhaps I could catch a ride_. I slowed down my pace to a more human speed and continued on. After two or so minutes, I heard the sound of car wheel's on the pavement behind me. I turned around slowly, watching a green pick-up truck come to a stop behind me. The driver honked once.

"Need a ride?" Called a familiar voice from the truck.

I walked backwards slowly towards the car. Riley pushed open the passenger door.

"What are you doing all the way out here?" I asked, tossing my bag into the back seat as I settled into my chair. "Why aren't you at school already?"

He laughed, putting his car into gear.

"I'm running late to school, that's what I'm doing. My family lives thirty miles north of here, near the Quileute Reservation," He paused, pulling onto the road, "What's your excuse Emma? I've seen hitchhikers before, but I swear none of them have been this well dressed."

I laughed.

"My brother decided to steal the car today," I replied, shrugging, "And my car doesn't arrive from the dealership until Wednesday, so I didn't have any other way to get to school."

"That sucks," he replied. He reached into the cup holder, handing me a navy blue phone.

"Take my phone number. I'll give you a ride next time."

I thanked him, adding the number as the car passed through Forks.

"There's not much here, I know, but it's not too bad," he said, driving past a small diner. We came to a stop at the lone intersection. "The school's only five minutes away from here."

I nodded smiling.

"So where are you from Emma?" He asked.

"Europe," I replied quickly. _Europe? That's inconspicuous. _

"Wow, really? What part?"

_Ummm…_

"London," I replied.

"London." He repeated my response to himself. "You don't have an accent."

"I'm originally from America. My family moved to London three years ago. When my dad's job changed, we moved back here," I paused, thinking of a plausible ending to my story, "He thought Forks would be a better place to raise a family than Seattle."

"Couldn't your mom have given you a ride this morning, then?" He asked.

"She's dead," I replied. The moment I said I realized my response had come too quickly.

"Oh," Riley said quickly, "I'm sorry…"

I shook my head.

"It's alright. She died a while ago," I said slowly. _In 1881. _"It's doesn't bother me too much anymore."

Riley nodded slowly.

"Oh ok," he paused, turning on his blinker, "Well here we are."

His green truck turned into the paved drive leading towards the Forks High School.

"I figure we'll park here," he said, coming to a stop, "The office is just there in that small brick building. They'll have your schedule and registration information there."

I opened the car door, pulling the strap of my bag over my head. Riley shut his door and we headed up towards the school.

* * *

"Name please," drawled the elderly receptionist.

"Emma Durand," I replied shortly. I glanced towards the porcelain cat clock situated on her desk. _8:15. _

"School began at fifteen minutes ago, dear," she said slowly, sorting through a stack of brightly colored papers.

"Yes, I had car trouble," I replied calmly.

She adjusted her jeweled glasses.

"Well that's just a delightful start to your first day now isn't it?" She tutted.

I stared at the cat clock to avoid rolling my eyes.

"Here's your schedule dear," she said, handing me a sheet of purple paper, "If you need anything else, don't be afraid to drop by."

She flashed me a wrinkled toothy grin. I glanced towards the brown and gold label on her desk.

"Thank you Mrs. Stanley," I replied.

I turned and exited through the glass door of the building. Riley was leaning against the brick wall beside the door.

"Ready?" He asked, adjusting the blue backpack on his shoulder.

I nodded and we began to make our way towards the main building. The halls were empty, as I had expected them to be, and it wasn't long before we arrived at my first class.

"Have fun in chemistry," he replied, walking towards the end of the hallway.

I paused, staring at his back as he disappeared around the corner, before I turned the doorknob to the room. The dark haired professor, scribbling away on the board, fell silent as he turned his attention towards me.

"Emma, I presume?" He said as he examined a list on his desk.

I nodded quietly.

"And I was thinking you'd got lost for good. Ah, well welcome," he said, extending his hand. I shook it slowly. As I scanned the room for an empty seat, he clapped a heavy hand on my shoulder.

"Class, this is Emma Derand. She's new here this year so give her a big welcome!" He announcement was met with a bored silence.

"So Ms. Derand, why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself." He smiled at me expectantly.

"I'm Emma," I replied slowly.

"Come on now," the professor replied, "We all knew that. Well, since it's your first day, I'll let you pass. Have a seat their next to Ms. Cullen."

I glanced towards in the direction of his hand. Renesmee Cullen sat at a slate topped lab table by the window. Her wavy bronze hair was tied back into a ponytail at the base of her neck. She wore an impossibly large black sweatshirt, rolled up to her thin elbows. Even under the pale fluorescent lights, I could see the inhuman glow of her skin. In many aspects she resembled a vampire—flawless in pale—but the pink tone of her skin and her normal, un-bruised eyes proved she was not. Her brown eyes flickered lazily in my direction as I sat down beside her. She said nothing for the entire class, occupying her time by recording neatly written notes of the lesson. When the bell rang, she left immediately, as if I was not there. I left the classroom, using the crowd to escape another round of questions from the professor. I headed towards my next class, Calculus, on the floor above me, feeling more lost and confused than I had ever been in the last 171 years.

* * *

The bell rang and I grabbed my bag, leaving the math room. I stood in the center of the hall as students shouldered past me. Amongst the crowd, a loud voice caught my attention.

"Yoo hoo! Emma, darlin'!"

I turned slowly to find myself facing a brightly dressed Missy Tadum. Before I could disappear into the crowd, I felt her manicured hand close around my forearm.

"My you're cold," she exclaimed, "Here take my fleece."

She handed me a hot pink Northface. I shook my head.

"I'm fine," I mumbled slowly.

"Well ok then Ms. Emma," she said, tucking her fleece into her bag, "But if you do get cold, lemme know and I'll let ya borrow it. So how's ya first day goin'?"

I shrugged, scanning the crowd for Riley.

"It's been good," I muttered absent mindedly, attempting to detach her hand from my arm.

She let out a loud, ringing laugh.

"You'll just have to let me know all about it over lunch! I don't know about you but I'm so hungry I could eat a cow!" She exclaimed, pulling me towards the cafeteria. I thought back to my first encounter with Missy. _Where was Alec when you needed him? _I thought back to the blue letter on the table as we arrived in the cafeteria.

"The lunch line starts right over here," she said, pointing a pink nailed hand towards a pile of stacked trays, "We'll probably sit over there by Becky," she added pointing towards a curly headed blonde at the center of the room. I resisted the urge to groan.

"Missy, I've been looking _everywhere _for you!" Margaret Lyle drawled, traipsing over to us. She frowned, glaring at me.

"Hopefully you haven't forgotten about the French Club meeting today," she said, addressing Missy exclusively.

She sent me another glare. I smiled back.

"Oh shoot! I forgot!" She said turning to me, "I'm afraid we already pre-ordered the lunches Emma."

"Unfortunately we have," Margaret added, sending me a smug look.

"C'est vrai?" I asked.

Margaret twitched once.

"Well let's not keep everyone waiting _Missy_," she said sharply.

She turned quickly, beckoning Missy to follow. Missy gave me a quick nod before disappearing after her. _Good riddance. _I felt a hand on my shoulder as I turned towards the line.

"Hey Emma. Figured I'd come save you," Riley said, smirking at me.

"Just a second too late," I said, grabbing a lunch tray as I proceeded through the line. I frowned as the lunch lady scooped a large cheesy substance onto my plate.

"What is this?" I asked, watching Riley receive an equally cheesy portion.

"I believe it's a sadly attempted enchilada if I'm not mistaken," he replied laughing.

I grabbed a set of plastic silverware from the bin at the end of the line. Riley grabbed his own and started to the far end of the cafeteria.

"Let's go meet the gang," he said, beckoning me to follow.

Five people were sitting at the table when we arrived. Riley pulled up a chair from the neighboring table and beckoned me to sit. I looked out at the people around me. Four of the five were boys. The first, sitting closest to me, appeared the oldest. His dark hair was cropped short and his dark eyes stared forward bored as he picked away at his food. He sent me a brief lazy glance, before returning his attention to his plate. The boy next to him appeared younger. His hair was slightly longer, but he wore the same, cropped style as his neighbor. He stared out the window absently, as if staring would make school end any sooner. He smiled at me as I sat down.

I could tell the two beside him were siblings. The boy and the single girl at the table could have been twins. The pair smiled up at me as I sat down. The girl's long black hair was pulled black in a long ponytail that hung over her shoulder. Her brother's hair, like the other boys at the table, was short. He ceased crumbling his napkin to wave at me.

The fifth boy at the table was strikingly different than the others. His dark hair was long; protruding an inch or two from under the gray beanie he wore low over his head. He wore a gray USC hoodie, instead of a plain t-shirt as his friends had chosen to wear, and a pair of red plaid swim trunks. With his red ray bans at his collar, he looked he'd never spent a day of his life in Forks. He flashed me an attractive smile as we sat down, pulling out the white ear buds to his iPod. I refrained from blushing as I smiled back at him.

"Guys," Riley said, sitting down beside me, "This is Emma."

He gestured around the table slowly, starting with the eldest seated to his left.

"This is Paul."

Paul glanced up slowly from his food at me, only to glance down again without a word.

"Give him a day, he'll warm up to you," Riley said shrugging. I watched Paul roll his eyes, a faint smirk appearing on his face.

"This is Quil Ateara," Riley said, gesturing towards the boy next to Paul. Quil smiled at me again, giving me a quick wave.

"Nice to meet you Emma," he replied.

"Nice to meet you too," I said as Riley introduced the two siblings next to him.

"This is Seth and Leah Clearwater."

Seth gave me a wide grin.

"S'up."

Leah rolled her eyes.

"Finally," she said, smiling at me, "I'm getting tired of all these guys."

Riley continued, gesturing towards the final boy at the table.

"This is Danny Walker. He moved out to LaPush from Los Angeles last winter."

Danny's dark eyes held mine as he smiled back at me.

"It's great to meet you Emma," he said calmly, his voice hanging ever so slightly on my name.

I managed to nod, not trusting myself to say anything coherent.

"That's about all of us," Riley said," Except Nez and Jake."

He paused, glanced towards the entrance of the cafeteria before turning towards Paul.

"Where are they?"

Paul shrugged, stabbing his knife through his Styrofoam plate.

"Haven't seen either one since English this morning," he said, pulling his knife out of his plate, "God knows what they're getting into now."

"I think Nessie told me she was working on a History project with Jake," Leah said.

Paul raised his eyebrows at Leah.

"Well that's what she _said_," Leah replied quietly, shrugging.

"I'm surprised you all would think so low of me," replied a lilting voice behind me.

Renesmée Cullen stood behind me, accompanied by a tall dark-haired boy. She sat down abruptly, forcing a space between Danny and Leah. I watched her brown eyes flick towards me lazily.

"Who's this?" She asked, turning towards Paul.

"Emma," He replied shortly, "She's new this year."

The Cullen girl eyed me lazily.

"Aren't you one of Missy's friends?" She asked, eyeing me slowly. "Why aren't sitting with her?"

_A pleasure to meet you too. _As I been to realize my next year would be spent in her presence, Riley spoke up.

"Everyone who was new this year had to meet Missy, as part of a welcoming ceremony to Forks High School," he replied, his voice laden with sarcasm, "Trust me, she's not one of them."

Renesmée regarded me slowly, as if to assess the truthfulness of his claim. After a moment she stood up abruptly.

"I'm hungry," she replied, departing for the lunch line.

The tall boy behind glanced once in her direction before sitting down in her chair.

"I'm Jake," he said, extending me a large hand.

"Emma," I replied.

He glanced towards the Cullen girl, making her way through the line.

"Don't mind Nez. She gets moody some days, but she'll come out of it," he said, offering me a friendly smile. He stood up slowly as she returned.

"I'll see you all later," he said, placing his arm over her shoulders, "Nice to meet you Emma."

I turned back to the cheesy mess in front of me. _Humans and their disgusting food…_

"Damn," Riley muttered, opening his phone.

"What?" I asked, pushing my plate away from me.

"I forgot I had soccer practice immediately after school," he said, pocketing his phone. He turned towards me. "Is there any one else who can give you a ride home today? Practice won't end 'til around seven."

I frowned. While walking was perfectly fine during the day, who knew what I would encounter walking at night_. It's hard to remain as human as possible when you're being attacked. _I shrugged.

"I'll find something," I muttered quietly, "Don't worry about it Riley."

"I could take you home if you want," Danny spoke up.

Paul snorted across from him.

"Do you even know where she lives, Dannyboy?"

Danny shrugged, giving me a knowing smirk.

"I'm sure Emma could tell me."

The bell rang signaling the end of lunch. I stood up, gathering my untouched plate and tray. Danny handed me my bag as I returned to the table.

"I'll meet you in the parking lot after school," he said, slinging his own backpack over his shoulder, "I'll see you then Emma."

With a final smirk his disappeared through the crowd.

* * *

The rest of my day passed without incidence. By the end of the day, I had successfully memorized my schedule. _Chemistry, Calculus, English, French, European History, Gym, Art, Health…_This would be an easy year. I knew almost all of these subjects—in fact, I was part of half the events in my European History class. I gathered the last of my books in my locker and shut the door, locking it with a flimsy metal lock. _Was this really strong enough to prevent another human from breaking in? _I turned to find myself facing an uncomfortably close Missy.

"We're going to the diner after school," she said, flashing me a pearly smile, "Want to come?"

_Was I really going to have to resort to killing her? _I attempted to edge past her.

"I have homework to do," I replied quickly.

"Don't be silly!" She cried, grabbing my arm, "Besides it won't take anythin' to get it done! C'mon Emma! You can bring that cute cousin of yours too!"

_Perhaps I would. _I gripped her hand, pulling it away from my arm.

"I can't Missy," I replied, gritting my teeth.

"C'mon now Emma!" She said, trying to grab my arm again.

This time I dodged hand. I turned on my heel, glaring at her.

"I'm not going Missy. Stop asking me," I hissed.

Her brown eyes widened slightly, but she was not deterred.

"C'mon Emma," she drawled, reaching for my arm again.

I turned back to her, considering the ease and force it would take snap her arm. _I'm sure she'd stop…_As Missy reached for me again I felt a large arm over my shoulders.

"Hey Em, you're still coming out to LaPush, right?"

I turned to find myself looking up at Paul. I was about to question him when it occurred to me what was going on. I returned his knowing glance before turning back to Missy. I could see the frustration building in her eyes.

"How's it going Tadum?" He asked, his voice thick with fake enthusiasm.

She muttered a low response, narrowing her eyes before turning and disappearing down the hall. Paul stood up straight, taking his arm off my shoulders.

"You owe me," he said, starting in the direction of the parking lot.

"What was that all about?" I asked, glancing over my shoulder at the pink figure disappearing through the crowd.

He laughed slowly.

"It's a long story, but in short: Missy is infatuated with Jake. Anyways, a couple years back, she became convinced if she broke up his relationship with Nez, he'd go for her. Try as she might, she failed miserably. In the end, I had to tell her nicely to give it up before she did something stupid."

I glanced towards Paul.

"Nicely?" I asked.

"Well, it was nicer than what I could've done," he replied, smirking.

_What he could have done?_

"What does that mean?" I asked.

He shrugged, pushing open the final door to the parking lot. I was pleasantly surprised to find the sun had managed to appear through the thick Washington clouds.

"I guess you just have to hear the whole story then," he replied simply.

I stared back at him. He shrugged again.

"Bye Emma," he said, leaving me to find his own car.

_This would be an interesting story. _I turned my gaze towards the parking lot as I searched for Danny. _Danny…_I found myself smiling as I thought back to our first encounter. _What was it about him? _Sure I found him incredibly attractive, but there was more to him than that. He seemed happy and optimistic, as if he would live every day to the fullest—even if he had to live forever. _And that smile…_ That mischievous little smirk, as if he were always up to no good. I found myself smirking as I spied him in the far corner of the parking lot next to Leah and Seth, his back to me.

"Hey Emma," Leah said, waving at me.

Danny turned to face me, his mischievous smirk widening across his face as he propped his sunglasses on his head. I came to a stop beside him.

"Ready to go?" He asked, regarding me with his dark eyes.

I nodded my head.

"Well let's go get the 11 then," he replied, offering me his hand.

"I'll see you two later," he said, replacing his sunglasses.

Leah and Seth climbed into the silver truck behind as we started off towards another section of the parking lot.

"What's the 11?" I asked, glancing up at him.

He laughed, shaking his head as he pointed to the red car in our path. As we got closer, it became apparent his car was as much of a contrast to Forks as he was.

"A Porsche 911?" I asked, watching the sunlight catch on the car's vintage fender.

He smiled, nodding his head.

"It was my dad's," he said, opening the car doors, "He gave it to me as a departing gift when I left Los Angeles."

I tossed my bag into the seat behind me as I slipped into the leather passenger's seat. Danny started the ignition and the car roared to life. The engine revved as we sped out of the parking lot.

"How'd you end up in Forks, Emma?" He asked, glancing towards me briefly. "You don't seem like the type of girl who would wind up in Forks on her own accord."

_If only you knew half of it…_ I shrugged, watching the trees speed past my window.

"My dad moved us here after his job moved from London to Seattle," I replied.

"What does your dad do?" Danny asked, pulling to a smooth stop at the stoplight.

_What does he do? _Almost immediately, my mind wandered to the triumvirate—Aro, Marcus, and Caius.

"He runs a bank," I replied quickly. _I could see Aro running a bank…sort of…_

Thankfully, Danny simply nodded in response. _Gods knows what bank name I would have concocted. _

"How did you wind up in Forks, Danny?" I asked, glancing towards him.

He shrugged casually.

"It's a long story. Very strange too, I might add," he paused, shaking his head, "I guess the easiest version is my mom got fed up with Forks and ran off to Los Angeles. There, she married my dad and had me. As you can probably imagine, this caused quite a fuss between her and my grandpa. Just about everyone in LaPush accused her for abandoning her heritage, while she argued LaPush was holding her back. Naturally, I was caught between the two. I'd always wanted to explore my heritage, but my life was perfect in LA."

He paused trailing off slowly.

"What happened?" I asked.

"I guess my mom just wore down," he replied, shrugging, "She sent me here to live with my uncle and his family just after my 17th birthday last winter."

"Have you ever been back since?" I asked.

He shook his head.

"Nah, but LaPush isn't all that bad. I can surf, I have friends—I have nearly everything I had in LA," he paused again, "Besides life's just easier here I guess."

The car was silent for a moment as we continued down the road. I stared out the window, watching the warm sunlight filter through the trees.

"Isn't this your house?" Danny asked, slowing the Porsche as we came to the start of the drive.

I nodded.

"It is, Danny, but how did you know? I don't believe I ever told you were I lived."

He laughed, turning into the gravel drive.

"I could say magic, but I doubt you'll believe me," he laughed again, shaking his head, "I heard Riley talking about the direction this morning. I knew this was the only residence between Forks and LaPush on this road, if Riley's description was correct."

I nodded, laughing. As pavement beneath the Porsche turned from gravel to pavement, I could begin to see red glimpses of the house peaking through the forest. At the last turn before the house, an unnatural shine caught my eye—the reflection of the sun off the black Audi. _Look who's decided to return from his escapades in Seattle._

"Whose car is that?" Danny asked, pulling the car to a stop behind the car.

"My brother's," I replied, taking my bag from the back seat as I opened the door.

Danny climbed out of the car, walking forward to examine the car.

"Lucky kid," he muttered, turning back to me.

"I'll see you at tomorrow then, Emma?" he asked, walking towards me.

"Of course," I replied. I paused, adjusting my bag on my shoulder. "Thank you so much Danny."

"Anytime Emma," he said, smiling at me slowly.

We stood there for a moment, staring back at each other saying nothing.

"I guess I'll go before Paul decides to lock me out of the house again," he said, walking back to his car, "Bye Em."

"Bye Danny," I called, watching the red Porsche speed out of sight.

I turned back to the house, climbing the Victorian steps to the door. Using my keys, I opened the door, tossing my bag on the floor beside me. A still figure at the end of the hall caught my attention.

"Have fun today, did we?" I asked.

Alec let out a short laugh.

"Wouldn't you know," he replied, sauntering towards me.

**So whatcha thinkin? Lemme know. Leading studies have shown that reviews are directly linked to lowered cases of writers' block...or so I heard....maybe... lol. Three things before I go: **

**a. who on earth did inspire Dannyboy? hmmm..... }:**

**b. REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!! hehe !!!! I always love to here what new people think?**

**c. I tried kangaroo yesterday...weird I know... haha well I'll let you all go!**

**I'm the writer. You're the reader. Readers Read On.**

**~Case Haley**


	12. Perspectives, Part 1

turned back to the house, climbing the Victorian steps to the door. Using my keys, I opened the door, tossing my bag on the floor beside me. A still figure at the end of the hall caught my attention.

"Have fun today, did we?" I asked.

Alec let out a short laugh.

"Wouldn't you know," he replied, sauntering towards me.

I shouldered past him into the kitchen.

"You'd be one to talk Alec," I said, reaching for the Cheerios on the top shelf of the pantry.

I turned back to the table. Alec was leaning against the doorframe of the kitchen, his arms crossed.

"Enlighten me."

"Shall I?" I asked, my voice laden with sarcasm. "Perhaps today would be an excellent example? You run off to Seattle to do Lords knows what, and leave me here. Or maybe last week, when you moped around the house, snapping at me," I laughed sharply, sitting down at the table, "You know, when Aro said you were responsible for me, I don't remember him endorsing hitchhiking as a suitable form of transportation."

"I don't recall him endorsing a Porsche either," he retorted, moving to stand at the opposite end of the table.

"How else was I supposed to get home?" I replied, giving him an innocent smile.

"I don't appreciate your tone," he retorted.

"That's a first," I muttered, reaching into the yellow box.

I watched his eyes close for a moment in his frustration.

"Who was that any way?" He said, sitting down across from me as he placed his feet on the table.

"Does it matter?" I replied.

"Well, you seem intent to discuss relevance," he said, eyeing me slowly, "Why don't you explain how he has anything to do with Aro's task?"

"He lives with the Cullen girl's mate, Jacob," I replied calmly.

"In LaPush, or whatever it's called?" he scoffed, "Yes, it definitely appeared he was born and raised in Forks."

"_I don't appreciate your tone Mr. Alec_," I drawled, "Besides that's not the point. He's close to Jacob and Jacob is close to the Cullens. I'm surprised someone as intuitive as yourself has difficulty understanding this."

I watched his red eyes darken.

"Shut up Emma."

I stood up from the table, grabbing the cereal box.

"Grow up, Alec," I spat, sauntering past him towards the staircase.

His hand shot out, tightening painfully around my wrist.

"When I ask you to shut up, you should do as I say," he hissed, his red eyes fading black.

"See, there you go again Alec. _You _left me here this morning Alec. _You _didn't care enough to pick me up from school. _I_ didn't start any of this," I paused, glaring at him, "I'm sorry you're jealous that you aren't the only one driving me around."

He laughed sharply.

"Jealous, Emma? You think I jealous?"

"You're sure acting like it Alec," I shot back.

"Why the hell would I be jealous of a half-breed?" he retorted in a low voice.

It surprised me how much it stung, but it did. I slammed the box onto the table in front of him and wrenched my arm free of his hand.

"You can go to hell, Alec," I growled, storming out of the kitchen.

I left through the foyer; opening and slamming the front door closed so heavily the chandelier clattered dangerously. I was livid. I marched past the Audi, using every ounce of self-control not to flip his precious car on its side. _Why the hell did I care what Alec thought about me? I didn't care about him. I most definitely didn't' care about him. I hated him. I hated him! He was so thoroughly insufferable; how I'd managed to put up with him and his attitudes for so long was beyond me. _

I reached the edge of the yard and continued into the woods.

* * *

_Well._

_I have a blue one. And I have a pink'un. The blue one's purty. But the pink one matches my new manicure. Why does life gots to be so hard? Wait! I got it. Don't pink and blue mixed together make lavender? Then I'll have both. Shoot…why didn't I think o' that before? _

* * *

_What was with Coach Cardin and all the running he had us doing? Geez. My legs were just about to fall off when he blew that final whistle. I opened the screen door to my house, tossing my practice bag on the floor by the couch. _

"How was practice Riles," My dad called, leaning into the living room from the kitchen.

"Good," I replied absently, "Where's mom?"

"She left with Emily about an hour or two ago," he said, turning the page of his newspaper, "She said she'd be back around eight or so."

I shrugged, grabbing a Gatorade from the refrigerator.

"All the guys are over at Sam's," he continued, looking up at his newspaper, "Your mom said she'd bring dinner over there when she gets back."

I nodded, grabbing my drink as I pulled on my sweatshirt, heading for the door.

_I set off in a jog towards Sam's house, on the other end of LaPush. My house, while on the reservation, set away from the main grouping of houses—further into the woods. My father had decided to return to LaPush after my grandfather passed away and left us the house. It wasn't long after we moved in that we found another reason to stay. Sure I'd heard it: Quileute legend—the mythical 'wolf pack' and their ability to change from man to wolf at will. My grandpa told me legend every opportunity he got the chance—the same legend he swore, had been passed on to him. But how could I have believed it to be true? It all started last summer when we first moved here. The voices. I thought I was going mad. Scratch that. I knew I was going mad. There was no way I could hear the voices of the guys around me. It wasn't long before Sam sat me down and explained everything to me. He reasoned my relation to Quileute tribe allowed me to connect mentally with the pack, though I was too distant to be affected physically. _

_I figure it's a lot better than being crazy._

I arrived at Sam's house. Seth and Quil were sitting at the table, playing rock, paper, scissors. Danny was sitting at the end of the stairwell, looking on.

"Hey Riley," Danny said as I entered the house.

"Where's Jake?" I asked, settling into the chair beside Quil.

"He left with Nez for the Cullens bout an hour ago," Danny said, "Who knows when he'll be back."

I nodded, looking around the cabin again.

"Where's Sam?" I asked.

"Left hunting," Quil answered, making his hand into a rock.

The room was silent for a moment.

"Did you hear about the dance, Riley?" Quil asked, defeating Seth again.

I shook my head.

"What dance?"

"Apparently Forks is having a 'Welcome Back Fall Fling'," he continued, "I overheard Toodumb Tatum going on about it in math."

"That sounds like a swell event," came a sarcastic voice. Paul stood in the doorway.

"Perhaps you could bring Prettyboy Walker over here," he continued, thumbing towards Danny.

Danny exhaled loudly, standing up to leave.

"Screw you, Paul," he said, walking towards the door.

Paul caught his arm as he tried to shoulder past him

"You know Danny, I hear Forks is going to have a track team this year. You should try out."

_I glanced between the four sitting at the table before turning my attention back to Danny. The bastard. We all knew what he was doing. _

_Before LaPush, Danny had been a track star. Not just good, but one of the best. A month before he phased, he'd even been asked to attend the Olympic trials—an American answer to the record held by Jamaica's Usain Bolt, created forty-six years ago during the 2008 Olympic games. It didn't take much to learn what running means to him…what running meant to him. I was there when they told him. He just stood there for a second, staring back as if to wait for the joke, the punch line…anything. But there wasn't one. After a second it sunk in and you could see it in his eyes. It was like telling a painter he's be blind, or watching a sculptor lose his hands; It was as if he'd been told he had a day to live—and that day would be spent far away from anything or anyone he cared to love. For a month we had to watch him, afraid he'd do something rash. He never did. He just kept to himself, saying nothing, doing nothing. _

_Two months later he was fine. You never would've known. _

Danny's back went rigid as he attempted to pass Paul again. Paul wasn't finished.

"Come on, Dannyboy, you really should," Paul continued, "I hear you're pretty good."

_It became clear what Paul was trying to do. _

_Danny hadn't phased but three times since he arrived. He hated it. He hated anything that had any part in ruining his life. We all knew it. Paul knew it. The first time he'd phased, during his first encounter with the Cullens, he'd run off for a week; the last two had been brought on by Paul. Nothing could ever set Danny off as much as Paul did. Paul hated Danny. Sure, he put up with him in public, sat beside him in school, but even Paul couldn't mask the contempt building in his eyes every time he looked towards Danny. Danny was his cousin. And Paul couldn't accept that. How could Paul ever attempt to pride himself above everyone, when his own flesh and blood had never even heard of LaPush until last year? At least that's what I figure. Maybe it was his pride…then again, perhaps Paul was jealous of him…Regardless, I'd yet to see Paul miss an opportunity to cut down Danny, as if to say you're no better than us and no matter what you do or how you act, this is all you will ever be. _

"Shut up, Paul," Danny growled, attempting to snatch his arm away from Paul.

"Or what Dannyboy, you'll sprint away from me?" Paul grinned, tightening his grip on Danny's arm.

Danny said nothing, looking away from Paul.

"Wait, you can't do that any more can you Dannyboy, can you?" Paul said, leaning towards Danny's ear.

"Shut up Paul," Danny growled, his body beginning to shake.

Quil stood up from the table.

"Knock it off Paul," he said, taking a step towards the two.

"Shut up Quil," Paul said, turning back to Danny, "You know, I'm wondering why anyone would even want a brat like you on their track team."

Danny was shaking even more violently now.

"Shut up Paul," Danny muttered, his voice tense.

"Guess they don't have to worry about that now, do they?" Paul said, his smile widening.

He pushed Danny out the door, laughing sharply as he phased. The auburn haired wolf on the porch stared back at us. In a moment, he was gone. Paul stood leaning in the doorway, laughing hysterically.

"You bastard," Seth called, starting towards him. Quil caught his arm.

"Don't stoop to his level," Quil said, "Let Jake handle it."

I stood up, walking past the laughing Paul to stand on the porch. I looked out into the night, but saw nothing.

_Let it go, Dannyboy. Let it go. _

I kept repeating it in my head, hoping he would hear me.

**To Be Continued...**

**Short Chapter I know, but hey there's a second half coming and I figured a short chapter is better than no chapter. Well until then I'll give you some sneak previews:**

** Part 2 will include the perspectives of Alec, Danny, and whoever else I can findbtw if you want to hear someone elses perspective, let me know and I'll try to add it over this next week**

**I have two different flashbacks for Danny: the day he first phases or the day he arrives in LaPushhelp me decide!!! Either way you'll hear both as the story continues**

**Alec won't remain a jerk forever, I promise ;}**

** Is it just me, or does Missy remind you of the pot hole from the car insurance commercial? lol**

**Alas (love that word),**

**I shall be off. Till next time. Je suis l'****écrivain. Vous êtes les lecteurs. Continuez Lire! **

**haha bet you can't guess what that means. Well, if not: **

**I'm the writer. You're the readers. Read On. **

**~Case Haley  
**


	13. Perspectives, Part 2

**Yea. I know. And I'm sure you all understand as well as I do why I'm piddling around at the beginning. Perhaps its because its late, and I'm sleepy. Pehaps its because I spent the last 6 hours typing this. Or perhaps, most simply, it will stall you all long enough to put down your pitchforks and read this next chapter....yea I like that idea. Why pitchfork the overloaded, needtobeforgiven author or thr failure to update in an ubsurd amount of time, when we can read this next chapter? It saves everyones nerves and it supports SUAAP (slow updating authors against pitchforking) **

**Without further ado, and pointless babbling.....**

**Ch 12 part 2  
**

_I just kept going. Faster and faster, till I found myself at the cliff, thirty or so miles north of LaPush. I hated him. What had I ever done to him? I finally collapsed, bringing my chin to rest on my knees. _

I had had everything. Half the colleges in the US were begging to take me; Girls were practically throwing themselves over me; hell, I'd even had my own credit card since I was fourteen. I remember the day I got the letter—an acceptance letter to the Olympic trials. I wasn't just the best in the nation anymore; I was going to be one of the best in the world.

Sprinting wasn't a sport to me. Sprinting was everything. I would never be able to fly, but if I could sprint, I didn't care. It wasn't like anything else in my world. It was an escape. It was a haven. Everything seemed to slip away when the gun went off. _Faster and faster, like a heartbeat—keeping me alive. _

It never was the medals or the fame—it was the record. _100 meters in 9.58 seconds. _The record made by Usain Bolt in the 2008 Olympics. I was so close. _9.98. _It was the record with which I had become the fastest high school sprinter in the United States. The scouts were blown away. _But why did I care about them? _I was on top of the world.

And then.

I phased. It was then my mother told me. _LaPush. The 'wolf pack' as she called it. Everything. If I knew I would never run again._

_

* * *

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
_

I glanced towards the gold-faced grandfather clock, sitting ominously in its dark corner. _It was a quarter till three. _I closed my book, placing it on the glass table by my window. The moonlight danced across the gilded letters scrawled elegantly across its cover: _La Divina Commedia. _I smiled slowly to myself. Jane had given it to me when we'd first joined the Volturi. _If I could just see her now… _It wasn't the first time I'd been away from her—in fact this was one of many times that I'd been separated with her. _It was just…_I glanced down at the gold chain hanging around my neck. Even when we had been apart, there had always been a strong bond between us that never seemed to fade. I could sense her always sense her presence, whether she was beside me, or oceans away. _This was different. _I could sense her at all. It was all I could do not to crush the pathetic chain to dust. _I hated it. _I was alone. Even burned alive, I had never been alone.

* * *

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_Last December_

I sat on Sam's porch, my hands in the pocket of my sweatshirt, watching as the faint flurries painted a thin white coat over the ground.

"What ya thinkin' Riles?" Asked a high voice from the doorway.

I turned back to see Nez Cullen leaning against the doorframe, her red hair curling out from beneath a ridiculous Hold Caulfield hunting hat. I laughed turning to face her.

"Did Alice get you that?" I asked, messing with one of the red flannel flaps.

"It's all the rage in _Milan_," she drawled, striking a fake model pose.

"You need help Nez," I said, shaking my head.

She laughed loudly.

"So when do you predict Paul's cousins going to get here, psychic boy?" she asked, rolling up the long black sleeves of Jake's sweatshirt.

_Psychic boy. That one's new._

I shrugged.

"My psychic powers aren't working today."

She laughed.

"I hear this kid's some insanely rich kid from Los Angeles," she mused, sitting down on the front steps of the porch.

I'd heard Paul rambling on about that last night in his agitation. As much as I _enjoyed _listening to Paul whine and complain in my head all week, I couldn't help but find his annoyance amusing.

_Sam had gotten a call last week—some crazed lady in Los Angeles looking for Stephen Chase, Paul's father. I was watching Sam on the phone, trying my best to ignore the thoughts running through his head. After a few more minutes of watching Sam fumble around with the phone and listening to the woman roundabout plea, she'd finally explained. _

"_I'm…" she said, hesitating, "Sam…it's me…Jacquelyn…Jacquelyn Chase…"_

_Sam nearly dropped the phone. _

"_Jacqui?" He repeated, his mind racing through faded memories until, at last, they settled on that of a young dark haired woman. "Stephen's sister?"_

_She stuttered again on the phone. _

"_Yes," she said finally, "Is Stephen there? I need him now." _

_Sam hesitated, staring forward as if he were listening to a ghost. _

"_He's out," he said, "He'll be back in about a week or two. What is it Jacqui? What's happened?"_

"_No, no. That's too long," she moaned, her muffled sob passing through Sam's thoughts into mine. _

"_What is it Jacqui? Are you hurt? What's happened?" Sam pressed, his voice and thoughts becoming anxious. _

"_It's…it's not me," she stuttered, "It's my son…Daniel."_

"I heard something," Nez said suddenly, her brown eyes focusing towards the entrance of LaPush.

A loud rustling came from inside the cabin. A second later, Quil and Embry burst through the door.

"Is Los Angeles here?" Quil asked, shoving Embry out of the way to sit on the step beside Nez.

"Not yet," Nez said, her eyes still fixed towards the entrance, "but I heard something."

"Where's Jake?" Embry asked, crossing his arms as he leaned against the doorframe.

"He's coming," she replied absently.

_I just kept running, faster and faster, losing track of everything to avoid losing my mind. I hated him. What had I ever done to him? I hated him. Hated him. I felt my body begin to shake. _

_I inhaled deeply, calming myself until the shaking stopped. What I would give to never phase again—as long as I lived…if you can call this living. _

_

* * *

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
_

_A strong shudder raced through my body. I took a deep breath and collapsed, falling flat on my back. Despite the dark clarity of the sky, I could see the faint traces of light pollution to my north. I didn't have a damn clue where I was, but it sure as hell wasn't anywhere near Forks. _

_Last December _

I had a hard time believing this ski-jacket wearing kid staring at us from being his red Ray Bans, had the slightest clue what was going on. Complete with the vintage red Porsche, _perfect for Forks winters I might add_, I half expected the first words out of his mouth to be some condescending comment like where's the actual house? Instead:

"I'm Daniel Walker, but everyone in LA just calls me Danny or Dannyboy."

He placed his sunglasses on his head, taking a step towards us. He bared the slightest familial resemblance to Paul, though his face was far more boyish than Paul's. He stood in front of us silently, smiling.

"This is Embry," Quil said, "And I'm Quil. Nice to meet you Dannyboy."

I stepped up.

"I'm Riley. I just moved here too."

He nodded, turning his attention to the last two remaining in our group.

"I'm Renesmee Cullen," she said suddenly, "Jake's girlfriend. But everyone just calls me Nez."

I was surprised she'd even introduced herself. Nez was never one to speak before she knew someone.

"I'm Jake," he said, shaking Danny's hand, "I've grown up here."

He paused.

"Your cousin's here somewhere," he said slowly, "I'm not sure where's he gotten off to now."

A sharp laugh rang out behind Danny.

"Nice car," Paul drawled as he leaned against its red door. His false smirk faded as he sauntered towards Danny. "Robbie, isn't it?"

Danny shook his hair.

"No, it's…"

"I don't care," Paul shot.

I could sense the tension growing between the two, and so had Jake. His eyes narrowed as he stared at Paul. Paul stared back.

"Isn't your dad some legal millionaire or something?" Paul sneered.

Danny's smile faded.

"Forgive me for asking Davy," Paul shot, "I'm just trying to figure while a spoiled brat like you ended up in LaPush."

"Watch it Paul," Nez shot, taking a dangerous step towards him, "If you don't stop, I assure you, you will not like how I put an end to it."

Paul stared hard at Nez. As a low growl escaped Jake's throat, I heard him reinforce Nez' threat in Paul's mind. Paul eyed the two, his dark eyes cold, before turning on his heel and pacing off through the snow. Danny glanced slowly at Nez, his eyes filled with a mix between gratitude and mild confusion.

"Are you one of the…" he started.

She laughed, shaking her red head.

"Not quite, but I'm sure you'll learn all about me later," she said.

She took a step towards the cabin, gesturing him to follow.

"C'mon in Danny."

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

* * *

_3:46. _It had been an hour and I had yet to hear her reenter. She was still out in the wood somewhere, probably rambling on about this afternoon. _This afternoon…_I'd been livid, though I couldn't pinpoint the cause of my anger.

Her friend had definitely caused part of it. _I was exiled to this meaningless town, isolated from Volterra and Jane—the only things in this world that had ever been meaningful to me—and Emma was here, flirting away with some stupid boy. _If matters weren't infuriating enough, I knew what he was: one of those miserable dogs that had threatened my sister during our first encounter. I hated them. _Foul, disgusting creatures. _And here Emma was, prancing away with one.

Emma. _Emma…_There was something about her. Something I couldn't stand about her that, I unwillingly accepted, was beyond her control. I knew it wasn't fair. It wasn't her fault. By how could I put up with a creature whose own species, had sought to destroy the only life I cared for. _Because we were witches, they claimed. Because we were different…but were we? We never acted as they did, stooping to believe in their preposterous law of nature: all that was different was not worthy of existence. _

_They killed her. Ravaged and beat her in front of me. I had been so weak then._

_But they got what they deserved. Screaming and pleading; begging us to spare their families. They had never heard my cries. I didn't hear theirs. _

I sat the watch I'd been holding in my hand onto the windowsill, now a crumpled ball of metal and glass.

_Some humans would spend the entirety of their miserable lives collecting paper for a Rolex. _

I smirked, glancing down at the crushed ball.

_Half human or not, nothing will improve by standing here. _

She'd been gone for nearly twelve hours now. I scanned the forest beyond my window, seeing nothing in the darkness. I slipped through the walls of the vacant house, pausing to admire the Van Gogh painting illuminated by a dim light in the stairwell. I continued to the front door. From the patio, I crossed through the yard to the edge of the forest. I did not fear traveling into the forest at night: I could disable anything, human or not, in a matter of seconds. Nonetheless, I hesitated. _There was no reason to risk driving her deeper into the forest, in her desire to avoid me. _I stood silently, watching for any sign of movement. I saw nothing. I turned back to the house, walking slowly. As I reached for the door, the porch swing creaked, catching my attention. Though I could see perfectly well, I still reached for the porch light just inside the door.

Emma was fast asleep on the bench, her chin resting against her shoulder. As the swing rocked slowly in the breeze, I noticed the faint traces of tears across her face and felt a pang of guilt as I thought back to our argument. _Why the hell would I be jealous of a half-breed?_ It had been a cruel thing to say. I said it out of my desire to shut her up, to win the argument, for the sake of my nerves and the silence of the house. I'd seen it in her eyes the second I'd said it, that look as if she'd been slapped across the face. I'd chosen to ignore until now, but I couldn't help but accept it now: I'd really hurt her. It had sunk far deeper than I intended it too when I said it. While part of me desired not to give a damn, I still knew it was wrong.

I reached out slowly, gently shaking her.

"Emma," I whispered.

She stirred slowly from her peaceful state, her blue eyes opening slowly to watch me.

"It's late," I said, "Come inside and go to bed."

She stared at me for a moment longer, before closing her eyes again. I stood there for a moment, before reaching out and picking her up. Her arms wrapped around my neck as her face buried against my chest. She was fast asleep again. I carried her up the stairs to her bed, laying her down gently. Her arms untwined slowly as she exhaled slowly. I would sit at the end of her bed, watching as the faint red hues of the sun appeared through the trees.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

* * *

My cell phone rang. I thought twice about it, before I recognized the number. _Riley Austin. _I'd forgotten I had it on me when I left. _It wasn't as if they couldn't find me without it…_I opened the phone.

"Where are you Danny?"

I shrugged, passing a shouting street vendor at the corner of the illuminated city street.

"Well, I'm not in Forks," I mused.

"Please don't be sarcastic Danny. We're worried about you."

I glanced up at the illuminated green roof of the Fairmont.

"I'm sure you are. Paul conveyed that thoroughly," I muttered, my voice still distant.

"Don't start this Walker," he retorted, "Where are you?"

"North," I said, turning to walk back towards the street vendor.

"We can trace your call if we need to Danny."

I let out a short laugh as I ordered two hot dogs from the man.

"I'm sure you can," I said, paying the man with the five-dollar bill in my pocket.

I heard Riley exhale loudly. The line went silent for a minute.

"Where are you?" He asked, his voice strained and barely controlled.

I exhaled.

"Vancouver."

There was a pause.

"Canada?" He asked, his voice incredulous.

I nodded, entering the hotel.

"Yup."

I could see Riley closing his eyes, frustrated beyond belief. At the moment I didn't care. I was tired and I wanted to be as far away from everything in Forks. He exhaled loudly again.

"Don't do anything stupid Dannyboy," he said finally.

"I'm not jumping of something, if that's what you mean," I joked, entering the marbled lobby.

"Danny…" Riley growled.

I laughed.

"Yeah, got it. Keep myself in one peace."

"I'm serious Danny," Riley warned.

"Got it," I muttered, approaching the front desk, "Gotta go. Bye."

Riley huffed before the phone went dead on the other end. I pocketed it awkwardly, balancing the two hotdogs in one hand. I sat them down on the registration desk, to the great dismay of an old, formally dress couple.

"S'up," I shot, winking at them.

The woman scoffed and turning away, accompanied by her tuxedoed husband, towards the elevators. The alarmed clerk eyed me disdainfully. I could see his dark eyes contemplating which of his numerous excuses he could use to refuse me a room. I smirked, ringing the silver bell directly in front of him.

"Room please."

"Name and how many rooms?" he asked, his frown growing. _Ah, the 'there's no rooms left excuse.' Classic. _

"Daniel Walker," I replied, "Philip Walker's son."

His frown increased as her entered a series of numbers into his computer.

"Room 2486," he recited mechanically, passing me the key.

I smiled.

"Thank you sir."

**So, what are you all thinking???? let me know cause reviews help me write subsequent chapters quickly!!! woopwoop And now for dramatic suspense**

**1. Will Danny return?  
**

**2. What shall happen when Emma wakes up?  
**

**3. Will someone hurt Paul? (if they don't I will)  
**

**4. What will happen at school the next day?  
**

**5. What is Danny Walker's true past?**

**6. Will the snooty couple from the hotel complain about Danny? (alright kidding, but hey)**

**Till Next Time:**

**-beat to quarters!**

**-I'll never let go Jack**

**and **

**STELLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA**

***BTW sorry to some of my earlier readers. I had put lines into the story to separate points of view but they didn't transfer. So for reading it despite your confusion thx!!!!

And so, as one reviewer has so kindly reminded me I'm the writer. You're the reader. READERS READ ON!!!!!!!!!!!!

**~Case Haley  
**


	14. Questions and Secrets

**Cheers. Its late-unimaginably so. ... please don't kill me with metaphorical pitchforks . lol. Read on!**

**~Case**

I woke up slowly, pausing as I took in my surroundings. Everything seemed hazed, my memories, my recognition of the room around me—after a moment or two, the haze began to clear and it came back to me. I felt a lump growing in my stomach as I remembered my recent confrontation: his words echoing through my head, the constant beat of my feet against the ground as I tried to get as far away from here as I could. Yes, it was all clear now. I stared up at the ceiling. _But how did I get here? _I remembered returning to the porch well into the night—perhaps around two or three—yet I failed to recall how on Earth I'd wound up in my room. I sat up slowly in my bed.

"You're awake," a voice said.

I glanced sharply towards the voice, issuing from the bench by my window. Alec lay reclined on the bench, his arms crossed, his face towards the window. I stared at him, my shock to find him in my room burning towards anger as I remembered our last reunion. As I stared back at him, he turned his gaze from the window to eye me slowly. I stood up abruptly, storming towards him.

"What the hell do _you_ want?" I spat, "Better yet, why are you even here? Isn't it time for you to run off on one of your little trips now?"

His face remained emotionless as he stood up to face me.

"Can we talk?" he asked his voice as unreadable and emotionless as his face.

"Get the hell out of my room," I growled, taking a step towards him.

"I want to talk with you," he repeated.

"Talk?" I scoffed, "About what Alec, I'm afraid I don't know what you could possibly want to talk to me about…." I paused, seething, "Perhaps a continuation of our delightful conversation yesterday afternoon?"

"Please stop Emma," he said in low voice, as if he were mother addressing their persistent child.

"Get the hell out of my room," I repeated through my teeth.

He said nothing this time, instead remaining silently in place to assure me that he would not leave.

"To hell with you Alec," I spat, turning on my heel to the door.

I never made it. Halfway between the door and the window, Alec was standing in front of me, blocking the door.

"I will speak to you," he said, his voice low, "Whether you'll listen to me or not."

I frowned, debating whether or not to attempt to leave again.

"I would like to apologize for my actions and comments yesterday. They were inappropriate and I…" he paused, as if he were carefully choosing his words, "I simply said what I did to get a reaction out of you."

I eyed him slowly, unsure whether I should be surprised and believing or skeptical of his apology.

"Are you actually serious this time Alec?" I asked, my voice heavily sarcastic.

His eyes stared hard at the wall behind my head. Even when he was attempting to apologize, I could not help but to test the limits of his patience.

"I propose a truce," he said finally, "You don't test my patience, I won't test yours. If we keep this up us another month or do, one of us will surely wind up killing the other."

I noted the change of tone as Alec sought to maintain the anonymity of his statement. _As if he could kill me. _

"Wondering what Aro might do if you're dead?" I lilted.

He stared hard again.

"It's not a joke Emma," he replied, his voice taking a more dangerous edge.

"So be it," I shot back.

The room was silent. After a pause:

"So we'll shake on it then?" I asked.

Alec looked down at me from the wall. Without another word he offered me his hand. I shook it slowly, half expecting him to crush my hand and give me a reason to kill him. _No such provocation. _He released my hand, walking past me towards the door.

"Get ready. I'll take you to school."

He disappeared out the door, leaving me alone in my room. _Truce? So be it. _

I arrived on the front porch, dressed in a white lace dress from Heidi and my leather jacket. _Heidi's fashion taste was slowly rubbing off on me. _Alec stood leaning against the hood of the car, his arms crossed. As he stared out towards the forest, I noticed he hadn't bothered to wear contacts. He glanced towards me suddenly as I approached, as if my presence brought his thoughts back to the present.

"Ready?" he asked automatically, crossing around the front to the driver's side.

I opened the car door, placing my school bag on the floor between my legs. Alec started the car without a word and sped silently out of the drive.

While I doubted Alec was driving anywhere near the speed limit, the ride seemed to last forever. _Perhaps it was the silence. _

"You know Alec," I started, "When you said truce, I actually believed you."

He remained silent, staring forward, both hands on the steering wheel. _As if he needed to mind the road. _

"Alec, the silent game's not going to help anything," I huffed, staring out the window at the trees.

"I'm serious Alec," I added, after a pause.

He turned towards me.

"Well then Emma, what alternate and no doubt superior suggestion do you have in mind to ease the current predicament?" he snapped.

"I don't appreciate your tone," I mocked.

He stared forward for a moment, his jaw tensed.

"What would you suggest?" He asked, his voice automatic.

I paused, thinking.

"Twenty questions," I replied.

"Twenty questions?" he repeated, his voice as incredulous as if I had suggested snuggling.

"Yes, Alec, twenty questions. It's a game in which each asks the other twenty questions."

"I know what it _is_," he huffed, "I'm uninterested, not dull."

"One wouldn't know sometimes," I muttered under my breath.

He shot me a dark look.

"Fine," I scoffed, crossing my arms as I stared out the window, "It was just a suggestion."

The car was silent.

"Alright then," he said finally, glancing at me from the road, "I'll play your game."

I smirked.

"That wasn't that hard, now was it Alec?"

He gave me a look.

"Don't push it," he snapped, "Rules?"

"Rules?" I repeated. _Hadn't thought of any…_

"Any limitations on what questions can and cannot be asked?" He clarified.

I shrugged.

"No limits. You can ask anything."

He stared forward silently, as if contemplating the game.

"Fine. One condition: You can deny answering two questions. Any and only two," he stated, "If the person chooses not to answer, the other can't reword the question to get around it."

I nodded.

"Deal."

We were silent as the car pulled to a stop at the intersection. The light bounced lazily in the wind as a small trickle of cars pattered past.

"Ladies first," he said, revving the engine as he sped through the intersection.

I paused, thinking. _What on earth could I possibly care to know about Alec?_ I knew hardly anything about him.

"I haven't the slightest…" I paused, thinking, "Where are you from?"

He let out a short laugh.

"Italy."

I frowned.

"Specifically."

"Is that your second question Emma?" He asked, his eyebrows raised, as he smirked at me.

"Alec…" I growled.

"I was born in Cattivo, a city in the North."

"Had you always lived there?" I asked, "What was it like?"

"I answered your question," he replied quickly, "I believe it's my turn, is it not?"

His response came too sharply to convince me that the rules were his reason to change the subject. I sided against pressing the matter.

"Alright then, Alec, your turn."

He laughed once.

"Why waste my question now, when you're almost at school?" He teased.

Sure enough I could see the brick school sign at the end of the road. _Why hadn't I thought of that? _The car pulled into the drive, climbing the hill towards the school. Instead of arriving at the main parking lot, the car pulled to a stop in a vacant teacher's lot downhill from the school.

"I'm afraid I have to let you out here," he said, cutting the engine.

"You can't drive the extra half mile to the door?" I asked.

He rolled his eyes, smirking.

"As much as this…_thing,_" he started, fingering amber colored pendant Aro had given us, "Prevents the Cullens from sensing me, it won't stop them from recognizing me, should they see me."

I frowned, grabbing my bag as I pushed open the door.

"Have a wonderful day," he teased.

"You're remarkable, you know that Alec?" I shot bag.

He simply smirked as the engine roared to life again. I shut the door and watched the car speed out of sight. I placed my bag on my shoulder and began my hike towards the school. I arrived in the student lot to find Seth and Leah leaning against their silver truck. The red Porsche, I noted, was absent.

"Morning Emma," Seth called, waving at me.

"How was you first day?" Leah called out, signaling me to come closer.

I shrugged.

"Not too bad," I replied.

I glanced around the lot again.

"Where's Danny?" I asked.

Leah glanced away from me, while Seth's face fell slightly.

"He's visiting his dad in Los Angeles," he replied quickly. I hadn't missed the slight hesitation in his voice.

"He's coming back soon," Leah added, her emotions far more composed than Seth's.

_I wasn't convinced. _Nonetheless, I nodded, shrugging.

"Are we headed to class then?" I asked, hearing the school bell sound in the distance.

Seth glanced up at me.

"How'd you hear that?" He asked, his tone bearing the slightest element of shock. "I…I just didn't hear it at all," he added quickly.

I shrugged nonchalantly.

"You didn't?" I asked, raising my voice to sound surprised. _The more I acted as if it were normal, the less they would suspect anything unnatural had occurred. _

He shrugged, running his hand through his short hair.

"To class then?" He asked, adjusting his blue back pack on his shoulder.

I nodded and the three of us set off towards the school.

I'd made it thus far without incident. History was boring—considering our first project would be on the Industrial Revolution—the era in which I was born. Chemistry was…well chemistry. Renesmee Cullen had sat beside me as still and silently as before, despite having been introduced to me. English perhaps, proved to be the most interesting to date. We would be reading _Leading Corruption_, a delightful novel about sociopolitical corruption and its consequences throughout history. Well…it was better than Chemistry. _Or now, for a matter of fact…_

I stood in the center of the gymnasium, arms crossed as the gym teacher stood at the front of the gym, clipboard in hand, barking orders. Never in my life had I been subjected to such a course. Sure, it wasn't a problem—I could disable a nearly seven foot vampire in a matter of seconds—jogging around a gym posed no problem. _Alec may have promised not to kill me, but if this boredom continued, there may not be a need anymore._

"All right," the gym teacher shouted, "Everyone to the center so I can count you off for partners."

The crowd of students slowly quieted as the clumped together in the center of the room. I glanced around at the other students around me. While I'd been disappointed to find I shared this class with Missy Tatum, I was glad to learn that she would be far more concerned with her hair and the length of her shorts to bother me. In addition to Tatum, I shared the period with Paul, Riley, Leah and Seth. As I continued to scan the room, I spied Seth across the room from me. He flashed me a wide smile before turning back to the teacher.

"All right, everyone quiet," the teacher called out, taking off her hat as she wiped her forehead on her forearm.

The chattering continued. She exhaled loudly, placing the tip of her silver whistle into her mouth. The blast echoed sharply through the room as the students fell silent.

"Since I'm already fed up with the chattering, I'll be picking your partners. No need for any more drama today," she sighed, reading over her clipboard, "Ok, let's have Clearwater boy and Tatum."

I heard the simultaneous squeal and groan that echoed from opposing sides of the crowd.

"Alright let's have Seneca and Leah Clearwater."

Riley and Leah moved towards Seth and Missy across the room.

"Alright let's have White and…" the teacher paused, glancing between her clipboard and me.

"Emma…Durend."

_Du-ran. _I glanced around for my partner.

"Lucky me," came a deep sarcastic voice behind me. I spun to find myself facing Paul. I sensed immediately that something wasn't right. He looked as if he could kill someone—as if he would kill someone. There was a dark bruise across his cheek, as if he recently gotten into a fight. My mind quickly skipped to Danny.

"Something wrong?" He shot, as if daring me to question him about his bruise.

I shook my head quickly, turning to walk towards the others. I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach as I began to wonder what had really happened to Danny. I stood between Riley and Paul as the teacher finished pairing the students.

"Alright, everyone's going to be paired with another group at a station. When I blow the whistle, you will begin. When I blow the whistle, you will stop. Is that clear?"

Her shout was answered with silence.

"Well don't all be too excited," she huffed, "Go, choose a station, and begin."

Paul started off towards a station, saying nothing. I followed him cautiously, growing more and more nervous. _What had happened to Danny? _It obviously wasn't good, but how bad could it be? _How bad could it be? _Paul arrived at the jumping jack station, only to promptly turn and lean against the wall. The frail girl, standing beside her partner, opened her mouth to say something. Paul shot her a look and she fell fearfully silent.

It continued like this for the next twenty minutes.

_Something had happened. Seth and Leah knew; of that I was certain. Paul…he was Danny's cousin wasn't he? _

"Paul," I asked quietly.

He either ignored or did not hear me.

"Paul, what happened?" I repeated.

He glanced towards me, his eyes cold.

"What?" he spat.

"Where's Danny?" I asked.

I watched him tense, and I knew immediately it was a mistake to ask him.

"Why the hell do you care where the little bastard is?" He hissed standing up from the wall.

I took a step back, trying to ignore the voice in my head telling me to run.

"Never mind Paul," I mumbled.

He took another step towards me as the teacher blew the whistle.

"Alright everyone: stop and change."

I turned around quickly, looking for the others. A wave of relief rushed over me as I spied Riley and Leah on the opposing side of the room. I made my way through the crowd towards them, never hesitating to wait for Paul in the crowd behind me.

"Which one are you headed to next?" I asked Riley.

Riley glanced at me once, opening his mouth to reply. He hesitated; his green eyes staring past my shoulder.

"Everything alright between you and Paul?" He asked slowly.

"Why would you ask?" came Paul's voice.

I turned to find him directly behind me. He paced towards the wall and leant against it, his arms crossed as he stared forward, glaring.

"He's just in one of his moods," Leah replied, picking up the tennis ball at our station, "Just ignore him. He'll get over it."

"Because of Danny?" I asked.

Both Riley and Leah tensed at the mention of his name.

"They got into a fight yesterday," Riley said, after a pause, "Danny ran off..." I watched him exchange an impossible quick glance with Leah. "He's at his dad's now. He's fine."

_That would explain the bruise at least. _

"Over what?" I asked.

"Nothing really," Leah replied, "Paul just got on Danny's last nerve is all."

I could sense the tension between the two and I knew that was the extent of what I would learn from either one.

"What are we supposed to do with this?" Leah asked, bouncing the tennis ball.

"We could throw it if you want," I said, backing up towards the wall.

She bounced it to me. I caught it, bouncing it once before tossing it lightly to Riley. _As long as I threw it lightly, no one would notice. _

"Go long Emma," Riley shouted, tossing the tennis ball high in the air. I jogged backwards slowly, calculating the velocity of the ball. I heard a sharp laugh, and the next thing I knew I collided hard with the wall behind me. I looked up to find Paul laughing, his foot still raised.

"Emma! You alright?" Riley called, starting towards me.

I waved him off, forcing a smile. _I couldn't recall ever being tripped. _I stood up slowly, rubbing my head. _Half vampire or not, it still hurt to collide with a wall. _Leah rushed towards me, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Emma, are you alright?" She asked.

I nodded slowly. I turned towards Paul. Through his laughter, he sent me an arrogant glance. Leah patted once on the shoulder before turning on Paul.

"You think that's funny, Paul?" She hissed, storming towards him, "Apologize!"

Paul stopped laughing to eye Leah—nearly a head shorter than him. Him smiled arrogantly.

"What if I say no, Leah?" he drawled, glancing towards me, "What then?"

Instead of a frown, a smile crossed her face.

"Perhaps I'll mention it to Jake," she said, lowering her voice, "What do you think will happen then?"

Paul's smile immediately faded as his expression grew dark. Riley stood silently behind Paul, his eyes watching him cautiously.

"Apologize," Leah repeated.

Paul said nothing, staring hard at the ground.

"Scared what will happen Paul?" She leered, reaching up to run her finger across the bruise on his cheek.

He flinched, an unnatural shudder running down his spine.

"Stop," Riley said suddenly, coming to stand between the two. He turned towards Leah, his face serious. She hesitated for a moment, as if she would add more, before backing away from Paul. I watched Paul exhale slowly, turning slowly from Leah to me. His dark eyes were burning, and I had not doubt if Riley wasn't present, he wouldn't hesitate to slam me backwards into the wall again.

"Sorry," he spat, his voice cold as he glared at me.

"Say it like you mean it," Leah said.

Riley cut her a quick look before glancing back towards Paul. Paul closed his eyes, exhaling loudly.

"Fine," he growled, opening his eyes, "I'm sor…"

He trailed off suddenly, staring at me as if my hair had turned blue. I stared back at him, my confusion quickly turning towards fear. _What had he seen? _He couldn't have recognized me—I'd never seen him before in my life. My mind raced through the possibilities: _Had my eyes turned from blue, back to red again? _It seemed logical, yet Riley and Leah would have noticed it. Riley was staring forward, his green eyes unfocused on a neutral space between Leah and Paul—as if he were trying to listen to something. Leah was staring at Paul, her eyes as livid as his; neither glanced towards me. I wasn't bleeding—maybe that was hit. _How hard had I hit the wall? _Obviously not that hard—others would have noticed. _Still, Paul just stared at me. _

And in a second, the moment was over.

Paul cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, his voice still cold. He gave me a final look before turning around and pacing out of the gym. The gym teacher glanced up at him from her position mid court, but remained silent nonetheless.

"Are you alright?" Riley asked.

I nodded.

"I'm fine."

Leah furrowed her brow, frustrated.

"I can't believe he did that," she muttered, shaking her head angrily, "He doesn't even know you! Well, I mean, he does but still! How dare he?"

She took a step towards me.

"Don't worry Em. The second Jake hears about this, I swear…"

A shrill blow from the whistle cut her short.

"Congratulations," the teacher shouted, "You've all survived."

I shook my head.

"It's fine Leah, it really is," I urged, walking towards the exit. Leah paced after me.

"No it's not Emma. I swear…" She started again, only to have Riley wave her off.

"Let it go Leah," Riley replied, "Let it go."

Leah huffed loudly.

"Yea, whatever. I'll see you two later."

With a final huff she quickened her pace and disappeared through the gym doors. Riley exhaled loudly.

"How do you manage to put up with that?" I asked.

Riley laughed.

"If I figure that out, I'll let you know."

I changed quickly, doing my best to avoid Leah. While I was glad she cared enough to stand up for me, I had an underlying feeling that, without Riley, that same care would have gotten us killed. I pulled on my jacket, ignoring the pink toweled girl waving me over towards her. I entered the hall: a barren, yellow floor corridor. We'd been let out early today; the hallways were empty and painfully quiet. I had health next. I groaned. _Perhaps it would be more bearable if Missy Tatum wasn't hanging over your shoulder ever minute, asking questions about your "brother." _I smirked. _Originally I had told her Alec was my cousin. For some reason, I subconsciously lapsed into calling him my brother. _I guess it seemed more fitting—with us always bickering back and forth, despite the moments when we managed to put up with each other. _Like this morning. _I smirked, only to frown as Tatum crossed back into my mind. _Cousin, brother—I doubted she would ever notice. _As if by a miracle, I remembered by book bag. _I'd taken it to gym with me, and in my rush to escape, I'd forgotten it. _Oh, well, at least I had a legitimate excuse to be tardy. I started back towards the gym, contemplating whether or not to just hide out there and skip the class entirely. I still had headache from hitting the wall; I wasn't in the mood for another.

As I walked, I thought back to this morning. 20 questions. _What did I want to know about Alec? _I was sure there were many things I didn't know about him, however I had difficulty pinpointing them. As I reached the door, another question floated into my head. _What did he want to know about me? _I smiled to myself as I stooped to pick up my bag, the class bell sounding out through the dim, empty gym. _Well I would have until 4 to figure that out. _I shook my head, surprised for the first time I actually wanted to see Alec.

The settling of the footsteps in the hallways assured me that I was officially late to class. _It made no sense to interrupt class now. _I turned towards the opposite side of the gym. _If I traveled outside, I didn't risk being told to return to class. _I crossed the gym floor, the heels of my shoes clicking quietly on the polished wood floor. When I was when 30 feet or so from the door, I found myself turning slightly—to stand at the sight of Paul and I's conflict. _I never really liked him. _Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. _There was definitely nothing for him to be surprised about. _Maybe I'd just imagined it all. As I turned to exit through the door, something caught my eye.

I never would have seen them if I hadn't been looking directly at it. Even looking at it now, I had difficulty seeing them. Yet, they were there none the less: A series of small fine cracks in the center of the wall—like a rock creates when it hits windshield.

I'd been wrong—he hadn't been staring me.

**Alright couple of things**

**1. dun dun dun**

**2. 20 questions? hmmm, won't that be fun**

**3. Please don't kill me (I will update soon :D Don't worry!)**

**4. Don't worry, that wasn't the end, only a preview cause I got bored writing in the present-so does that mean I know the ending? well we'll just have to wait and find out**

**!5. Back to #2, have a "20 questions" question, lemme know and I'll write it into the story!**

**So yes, I will definetly get better on updating. Much easier to do when you're not in Europe. I promeeeeeeese :9 lol Soo Review!**

**And so**

**I'm the writeer. You're the reader. Readers Read On!**

**~Case Haley **


	15. Waltzing Matilda

**hi. please no pitchforks :( see further begging below. **

**And so the saga continues. I'm the writer. You're the readers. Readers read on! **

**~Case**

The rest of the day seemed to drag on without end—each second on the clock pulsing slower than the next. I kept my head down, avoiding Paul to the best of my abilities—a task that proved entirely too easy, since it occurred to me during his absence during lunch that he was avoiding me as well. My nerves relaxed ever so slightly after that, but I remained on edge, half expecting Paul to appear out of nowhere. _Perhaps I had just imagined it. He'd never seen anything. It was all in my head. _I was doing one hell of a job convincing myself—I started when the bell finally rang for school.

I grabbed my bag, slinging it over my shoulder as I entered the hallway. My heart, which had accelerated to a near human pace, slowed as I blended into the crowd. _He wouldn't dare make a scene. _They would protect their secret as strongly as the Volturi. Reassured, I went to my locker, emptying it of its various books and binders. As I turned towards the doors leading to the parking lots, I felt a hand wrap tightly around my wrist. _He wouldn't dare… _I spun around, yanking my arm away to find myself staring into the brown eyes of the last person I wanted to see.

"Nom d'un chien Tatum!" I all but screamed, trying my best not to break her arm as I pulled my wrist away.

I inhaled slowly to calm myself, trying my best not to glare. Missy Tatum simply giggled.

"Gnome Shin? What's that, pig latin or somethin'?" She giggled again.

"What the h—never mind," I groaned, shrugging out of her grasp, "Why do you feel the need to touch me every time you see me, Missy?"

"Why I just bein' friendly and all," she beamed, "Seein' as we're now pals and all."

I nodded, slowly taking a step away from her. She followed, remaining silent, as the stupid grin plastered across her face grew wider.

"What is it Missy?" I asked.

She giggled again, tucking a platinum curl behind her ear as she bit her lower lip.

"What?" I asked, not bothering to hide my growing frustration.

A wide grin stretched across her face as her manicured grip pulled me towards a small crowd building in the parking lot. As we moved closer, my eyes rested upon the cause of the commotion.

A sleek black BMW. _I'd never seen one of those before. _

"Isn't it amazing?" Tatum squealed.

I raised an eyebrow.

"The BMW?"

She nodded, biting her lip again to stop herself from squealing. _It was a nice car, no doubt about it, but it certainly wasn't anything to excite a crowd. _They had obviously never seen the cars in London. I barely heard Tatum as I thought back to my days traveling Europe.

"Did you pick the plate too?" she asked, poking me in the side.

My thoughts came back to the present.

"What are you talking about Missy?"

She laughed, slapping me gently on my arm.

"You silly girl! I'm talkin' about your car!"

I glanced towards her slowly.

"My car?" I blinked, wondering if she'd finally lost it._"My _car? What are you going on about?"

Missy smirked, pointing to the license plate.

EDUR16

_What on…_ I shook my head as I approached the car, reaching for the keys pinned beneath the wiper blade. _This had his name written all over it. _I did my best to ignore the crowd as I opened the car, placing my bag in the passenger's seat. As I reached forward to place the key into the ignition, my hand ran across a piece of paper attached to the back of the steering wheel. I pulled it off, unfolding the paper slowly.

_Forgive me, but my dear friend will not be seen driving a Volkswagen Jetta. It is a shame to all that is German engineering, and I most certainly will not allow it. Consider this as a 'thinking of you' gift—that can accelerate from 0-60 in five seconds._

_Felix and Heidi say hello, and Felix wishes to remind you that he can beat you on any given day. I doubt that, but nonetheless take care._

_~Demetri_

I stared down at the note, my smirk widening as imagined Demetri writing the letter. _But how had he known? _I placed the car into gear, accelerating through the parking lot. I figured Alec had something to do with it, if not everything. _The way he acted towards the Audi…_However, I doubted he would be in such a charitable mood, even if our relationship was improving. I rolled my eyes. _Relationship? _Could I even call it that? Well, whatever it was, it was in a somewhat peaceful stage, and I planned to keep it that way as long as I could.

I sped up the winding road towards the house, parking behind the black Audi on the circular drive. I grabbed my bag, pulling it over my shoulder as I paced up the wooden stairs to the house. I dropped my bag onto the floor beside the door as I shut it behind me. Alec was leaning against the banister, wearing the same grey suit he'd regularly worn in Volterra. He raised an eyebrow at me as I entered, crossing his arms.

"What is _that_?" he asked slowly, his scarlet eyes gazing past me towards the door.

"The car?" I asked.

"No princess, I meant the door," he replied happily.

I frowned.

"You didn't have anything to do with this?" I asked, reaching into my pocket for the note.

"No," he replied in the same sarcastic tone, "I'm simply asking questions to hear myself speak."

"You know Alec, your sarcasm runs dry very quickly," I retorted.

"Does it now?" he replied, feigning surprise.

I could feel him starting to get under my skin. I bit my tongue, exhaling loudly. _This would never solve anything. _

"We had a truce," I reminded.

There was a pause as he stared back at me.

"So we did," he stated, his tone emotionless as his smirk faded.

There was another pause.

"This was in the car," I replied, handing him the note.

He took it slowly, glancing at it for no more than a second. He handed it back.

"Ah, it seems I wasn't the only one who hated the Jetta."

I frowned.

"There's nothing wrong with a Jetta. It's small, sturdy, and it blends in well in Forks. How on earth am I expected to blend in driving a new BMW?"

Alec shrugged.

"They drive them everywhere in Europe," Alec replied shrugging.

I exhaled slowly. I didn't need anything that would draw unnecessary attention to me. An image of Paul floated into my head. _More attention. _I disregarded the image, focusing on the conversation at hand. _That was the last thing I needed…_

"This isn't Europe, Alec."

He paused, staring back at me, before he shrugged and turned towards the staircase.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

He glanced over his shoulder as he climbed towards his room.

"To tell Demetri to trade the BMW in for the Jetta," he replied.

I stood there in the foyer as Alec disappeared around the corner. I groaned.

"Don't," I mumbled quietly.

He reappeared at the top of the staircase.

"Hmm?"

"Don't," I repeated, raising my voice, "I'll keep it."

"You aren't worried about the attention it'll cause?" He asked, walking slowly down the stairs.

I shrugged.

"I'll deal with it," I replied, pausing, "Besides, I figure the V8 engine might get me to school a little faster."

Alec jumped from the last eight stairs to land lightly in front of me.

"I thought you'd come to your senses," he smirked as he started towards the kitchen, "Because I believe its time to continue our little game."

I followed him into the kitchen, reaching for the Cheerio box on the counter before I took a seat across from him.

"Alright then," I said, reaching into the yellow box.

"What was your first impression of me?" He asked calmly, reclining as he placed his feet on the table.

I laughed.

"Why do you care?"

Alec shook his head.

"Tsk, tsk. Can't even play the rules to your own game. I believe it is _my _turn to ask the questions."

I frowned. _What had been my first impression of him?_ I thought back to the first time I'd heard him speak—the night I had been fighting with Demetri and Felix.

"Arrogant," I responded.

Alec laughed.

"Is that all?"

I thought back, watching the night's event's unfold in my head

"It's certainly a good portion of it," I responded, "But if you want me to continue…"

"By all means," he said with a smirk.

"Fine, then," I paused, choosing word I felt best captured my first impression of him, "Proud, hubristic…"

"Hubristic?" Alec repeated, raising his eyebrows as if he were shocked.

"Perverted," I continued.

"Perverted?" He repeated. He sat up now, leaning his elbows against the table as his clasped his hands.

"Do elaborate, Emma."

"If my memory serves me right, you had me pinned beneath you against a wall."

"I was simply making my point clear. I'd hardly call it perverted."

"What would you call it then?"

"Persuasive," he responded calmly.

I stared back at him for a moment, frowning.

"Or harassment," I offered.

"You would have fought back harder if it was," he drawled.

I could tell he was attempting to get under my skin. _Or was he simply stating fact? _I could have fought harder. _But_ _he would have won anyways. _Perhaps deep down you had enjoyed it. _It wasn't as if you didn't find him attractive_….I frowned to myself. No. Absolutely not. Alec smiled across from me, knowing full well what I was thinking. I frowned towards him. _No. Absolutely not. _It was Alec. Selfish, arrogant Alec.

I'd go to hell and back first.

"Well, I have successfully proven my point," I continued, "I believe it is my turn to ask you a question."

"Eager to change the subject are we?" He drawled.

"I could've beaten you if I wanted to," I retorted.

Alec laughed again.

"I highly doubt that."

"Regardless," I interjected.

Alec smirked, returning to his reclined pose against the wood backed chair.

"What is that book you're always reading?" I asked. I paused, thinking. "The book upstairs on your desk. It was the same one you were reading the night I first met you, wasn't it?"

He paused, his expression unreadable, before nodding once.

"What is it?" I asked.

He stared vacantly towards the window behind the sink.

"La Divina Commedia," he replied, speaking so quickly I barely understood him.

"La Divin…?"

"The Divine Comedy," he replied simply, his scarlet eyes flickering away from the window to glance at me.

A book exploring the nine circles of hell. _How fitting. _I'd read it once in the past; I'd found a copy on the bookshelf of my mother's cottage—an old, worn copy that despite its age, appeared to have never been read.

"You've read it?" Alec asked.

I nodded once.

"A bit cynical for my tastes."

He shook his head.

"Why am I not surprised?"

I raised an eyebrow at him.

"What's that supposed to mean Alec?"

He shrugged, reclining in his chair as he replaced his feet on the table.

"Your turn."

I watched him for a moment before continuing.

"What is something no one else knows about you?"

Alec laughed once.

"I doubt such a fact exists," he replied, "If Aro doesn't know it, Jane certainly does."

I felt an involuntary shiver work its way down my spine as he mentioned _her. Fondly nonetheless…_

"Humor me," I replied, pouring the remaining contents of the cereal box into my mouth.

He crossed his arms, his scarlet eyes staring out the window.

"Be more specific then," he said after a pause.

"What were you like when you were human?"

The moment I asked, I could tell I shouldn't have. His eyes grew dark, and for a split second I was afraid our truce had ended. His face became emotionless, save the resent that burned in his dark eyes.

"I…I'm sorry," I mumbled quickly. I pushed myself away from the table, making to standing up slowly when I froze in place.

"Stay," he said calmly.

I felt his hold leave as quickly as it came. I sat back down slowly. After a moment he looked up from the table.

"I can cook," he said suddenly.

I stared back at him.

"What?"

He smirked, running a hand through his dark hair.

"Wait, _you _can cook?" I raised an eyebrow slowly. "But you can't even eat."

He shrugged.

"Certainly smells good though," he mused.

"Well now, that's certainly good to know when I grow tired of eating cheerios," I laughed.

He laughed shaking his head. We sat in silence for a moment, staring back at one another.

"You know Ema…" he started.

The high-pitched ring of a cell phone cut him short. He stood up quickly, arriving behind me before I had time to blink.

"It'll only be a moment," he said, disappearing up the stairs.

I sat alone in the kitchen for a moment longer, wondering who would be calling him. _Volterra, no doubt. _I frowned. _Why hadn't I been give a phone to Volterra? _I stood up slowly, placing the now empty box on the counter as I made my way to my room.

Entering my room, I walked towards the mirror on the wall across from my bed. _I couldn't remember the last time I'd taken a good look at myself. _I stood in the center of the frame, staring at the human girl who stared back at me in turn. I knew I took on a more human appearance when I lived like one, but I had never had an excuse to test the extent of my ability to do so. I was still pale, compared to human standards, but certainly not by vampire standards. My cheeks were unnaturally pink hued, and my eyes had turned to a less vibrant shade of blue—far from their more commonplace scarlet or indigo. I frowned. I looked dull. As I began to turn away from the mirror, I happened to glance my profile. Perhaps it was the light, or merely the angle. Nonetheless, I couldn't help but to notice I looked more like my mother—my human mother. I paused, looking back into the mirror. _Perhaps my new appearance wasn't entirely negative. _I smiled back into the mirror, my eyes resting on the vintage phonograph in the reflection. I smirked, walking towards its place on an antique stand beside the window. _I hadn't seen one of these in… _To think of it, I couldn't remember the last time I had. While most of it was traditionally made, an electric cord had been added, allowing it to use an outlet. I plugged it in, adjusting the needle as the record began to spin. An old-fashioned waltz crackled out of the horn, floating softly across the room. I smirked, grabbed the hem of my dress as I curtsied. I twirled around the room, counting the beat in my head. _1-2-3, 1-2-3. _I curtsied again, changing to another invisible partner. I thought back to balls I had attended in the past. I pictured the dresses, flashes of bright color as the spun gracefully around the floor. The hall itself was an artistic marvel: gilded ceilings, wide, crystal chandeliers.

"You two certainly make a lovely couple."

I paused, dropping my hands from invisible shoulders. Alec stood in the way, his hands in his pockets as he leaned against the doorpost.

"I didn't realize you were here," I mumbled quickly, moving to turn off the phonograph.

"Strauss II's Morganblätter Walzer," Alec said slowly, taking a step into my room, "Not the most flattering name of a song I admit, but a beautiful melody nonetheless."

I shrugged, turning back to my invisible partner. Alec watched me silently.

"You dance like a man."

I paused frowning.

"Well, I'm sorry if I not the most graceful dancer in the world Alec," I retorted, "Not all of us can be as perfect as _you_."

"I didn't mean it as an insult," he replied simply.

I stopped waltzing, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Really?" I asked.

"A woman's first step is back," he continued.

He stepped forward, taking my right hand in his and placing my left of his shoulder. Stepping forward, he led me across the room. Spinning gently, it was if I had left Forks and entered a grand Austrian ball.

"So where, pray tell, did you learn to dance?" I asked, laughing as we moved gracefully across my room.

"Inherent talent," he drawled. He raised his arm, spinning me once before pulling me towards him again. I raised an eyebrow. He laughed.

"When you have attended Aro's balls for the last four hundred years ," he said, "You learn to dance very quickly. And very well."

He laughed again, turning me as the main melody changed.

"Or so I've heard," he mused.

I sighed, laughing once before resting my head against his chest.

"And you?" He asked.

"Years of inviting myself to Europe's grandest balls," I replied.

"Is that so?" he laughed, "Then 'tis a pity they never taught you to waltz correctly."

"It's been years since I've last attended a ball," I sighed, "I'm afraid my extraordinary dancing abilities have slightly declined since then."

"Of course," he replied.

Though lasting but a few minutes, the melody seemed to go on for days, singing sweetly as it crackled through the antique speaker. With a dramatic burst from the brass, the waltz slowly faded away. For a moment, we stood still in the silence, my head against his chest as I looked towards the window, while his hand remained around my waist. Looking up from the window, my eyes met Alec's just inches away from my own. _If he were to lean but an inch closer, how easily it would be to…_Without thinking, I leaned towards him, his lips drawing closer to mine. After a moment's hesitation, he began to tilt his head towards mine, his lips grazing mine.

"I have to go," he said suddenly, taking a step backward, "There was something Aro wanted me to pick up in Seattle."

He took another step back, his eyes staring hard at the window. I blushed, staring down at my feet. I nodded stiffly.

"It's getting late," I added.

He nodded once, his expression unreadable.

"I should go," he said, turning towards the door.

Before I could reply, he had vanished. Outside I heard the car start, the engine revving loudly as it sped out of the drive. I stumbled slowly to my bed, my feet like weights beneath me. Laying down slowly, I stared up at the ceiling, desperately trying to make sense of it all. _Had I almost kissed Alec?_

_**

* * *

**_**dun dun dunnnnn****...**

**so begin begging**

**1) I blame the man...and hw**

**2)MORE 20 QUESTIONS! lol I need ideas! :D  
**

**3) what will happen with Paul? more importantly, what will happen with Alec and Emma?  
**

**4) To my reviewers:**

** -SunnyHunny18~ no I was not abducted by aliens, seeing as they do not abduct their own kind due to the galactic truce of '54**

** -A. Lily Potter~ 1st: love the name :) 2nd: the story shall continue!**

** -Smiley~ while I'm glad you find my story addictive, I'd advise against snorting it... never ends well. Also, on the subject of Caius, I've never liked him lol Always got this "I do whatever the hell I want cause I can, so suck it" vibepart of that attitude leading into the fact that he does have a wife, but obviously doesn't care**

** -Tempted Fate~ I enjoyed reading all 14 of your reviews :) and I have not been to a mental hospital (I am also absurdly jealous you have a twin)**

** -Sleepy Hollow~Hopefully this chapter answers the question of what she looks like more...I hope... As far as sleep, I imagine it revolves around whether she is more vampire or human atm the more vampire she is, the more optional sleep becomes and vice versa**

**~~~~To the rest of my fans, I am typing the next segment as we speak (literally, its on another tab :P ) Thank you for the reviews (keep on!) and as always**

**I'm the writer. You're the reader. READERS READ ON!**


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